BWW Stage Mag The Dean's Office - The Broadwater Black Box Theatre Stage Mag

The Dean's Office

The Hollywood Fringe Festival Scholarship Recipient Production
 
The Broadwater Black Box Theatre 
Hollywood, CA
 
written by
Joyce Lee

 
 
directed by
Sherrie Lofton
 
 
Starring
 
Nadège August
Minerva Garcia

 
Darrell Philip
Yoland Romersa

 
Tory Devon Smith
Helen Duffy

 
 
 
 

Director's Note

 

In the United States, as with the rest of the world, we are confronted daily with the things that divide us as humans. Ideology, politics, religion, tribalism, and color are but a few of the holdovers from our gatherings around the open flame and emergence from caves.  

Critical Race Theory is not a new concept.  It has been a part of the intellectual and legal discourse for over thirty years. The core idea as defined by Stephen Sawchuk for Education Week is that race is a social construct and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies. The evidence of this reality is easily seen in most communities in the United States today.  However, the fear that examination of these contracts and the nature of our legal systems and policies are being challenged in many schools as divisive.

To look at how this affects African Americans and Latinos specifically is a challenge that playwright, Joyce Lee has confronted head-on with clarity, humor, and compassion.

With a multi-ethnic and diverse cast of extremely talented actors, the only solutions offered are solidarity and effort.  This cast comes from different communities and experiences to offer a glimpse at how working together can enlighten, instruct, and bind us as Americans and humans.

Sherrie Lofton

Cast

Joyce Lee
Playwright, Producer
Sherrie Lofton
Director
Nadège August
Tamara Jones
Helen Duffy
Professor Winn
Minerva Garcia
Dean Silva
Darrell Philip
Dean Green/Dean McFadden
Yolanda Romersa
Mrs. Rosales
Tory Devon Smith
Sir Washington
Nadejda Klein
Costumes
Tamir Yardenne
Sound Design
Allison Surlock
Technical Director
Rebecca Schoenberg
Stage Manager, Board Operator

Meet the Company

Joyce Lee

Playwright, Producer
Joyce Lee - Playwright, Producer

Joyce Lee is a Hollywood Fringe Festival Diversity Scholarship recipeint, and most grateful to the director, cast and creative team for making The Dean's Office happen in the midst of a worldwide health crisis.  Joyce is an actor, writer, teacher and arts education advocate living in Los Angeles. Her play, Nino and the Principal’s Daughter toured schools in Los Angeles under Enrichment Works sex-education program. A reading of The Dean’s Office was presented at Houston’s Fade to Black, and virtually with The Actor’s Studio BIPOC group. Since receiving an MFA in Acting from NYU, she has worked in TV, film and theatre and has taught acting at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and voice and speech at New York Film Academy in Burbank, CA. Ms. Lee also has a passion for youth development and holds a certificate in Social Emotional Healing through the Arts from UCLArts, Santa Monica. She has worked with youth at probation camps and with highly gifted, high-risk youth in under-funded schools throughout Los Angeles.   She is in production with the documentary, Artist Amidst Covid-19.  Joyce is a member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, an Officer with Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West, and a lifetime member of The Actor’s Studio.

Sherrie Lofton

Director
Sherrie Lofton - Director

Sherrie Lofton is a theatre professional. She has worked as a Producer,
Director, Actor, Production Manager, Stage Manager, Company Manager and
General Manager with numerous companies in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New
York, Seattle, Vancouver, London, Newcastle, Liverpool and Barcelona. A studio
veteran, she has worked for Warner Bros., Saban, and Paramount. Currently her
work in the theatre is shared with her duties as CEO of The House of Whitten, a
live event support company offering technical and talent staffing, and Project
Assistant for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Nadège August

Tamara Jones
Nadège August - Tamara Jones

NADÈGE  AUGUST was last seen on stage as “Kate” in David Lindsay-Abaire’s GOOD PEOPLE for which the Desert Theatre League awarded her the Outstanding Supporting Actress in the drama category (CVRep). On Television, she is a Series Regular in Tyler Perry’s drama RUTHLESS and recurs on Nickelodeon’s comedy “Young Dylan”. PartialTheatre credit: Antaeus Theatre: Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Emilie) Odyssey Theatre: Sunset Baby (Nina) NAACP Best Lead Actress Nomination, Antaeus Theatre: Wedding Band (Mattie) Odyssey Theatre: Desire Under The Elms (Abbie Putnam) NAACP Theatre award Best Supporting Female nomination; Three Sisters After Chekhov (Jean) Lower Depth Theatre. Silent Heroes (Felicia) Gardner Stages. Lifetime member of The Actors Studio. Podcast host and creator of What The Fockery. www.realnadegeaugust.com

 

Helen Duffy

Professor Winn
Helen Duffy - Professor Winn

Helen Duffy began her career in NYC playing leading roles in plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Strindberg and Clifford Odettes at the award-winning Roundabout Theatre. After relocating to Los Angeles, she appeared on stage at The Odyssey, The Globe, The Asylum, The Luna Playhouse, and The Inkwell Theatre Playwrights’ Development Lab among many others. Her many TV appearances include over 100 commercials and  guest starring roles on the classic sitcoms, “Night Court”, “The Golden Girls”, “Who’s the Boss?”, “Frasier”, “Hannah Montana”, “Benched”, and the popular dramatic series, “The West Wing”, “LA Law”, “The Practice”, “Ally McBeal”, and “The Unit”. Film credits include “Breakdown” with Kurt Russell, “Terminator III” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and “Austin Powers” with Mike Myers. Helen serves on the Board of Directors of First Stage where she has directed and appeared in many plays, workshops, and staged readings. Helen is delighted to be back on stage again after so many months in quarantine.

Minerva Garcia

Dean Silva
Minerva Garcia - Dean Silva

Minerva Garcia, actress, director, has worked in theatre, film, and TV with credits that include performances at The Mark Taper Forum with Culture Clash, The Odyssey Theatre, and Fridah Kahlo.  Other credits include Dexter, What Planet Are you From, and Beautiful Boy. She thanks Joyce Lee and Sherrie Lofton for easing her back onto the stage after a long hiatus, and thanks all for supporting The Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Darrell Philip

Dean Green/Dean McFadden
Darrell Philip - Dean Green/Dean McFadden

Darrell Philip was born and raised in Texas and studied in Hollywood at The Actors Center International, The Groundlings, with Ivana Chubbuck, and Larry Moss.   On stage he has been seen as Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac, Neil Simon's California Suite,  Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, Gross Indecency:  The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, as well as Bronzeville, No Place To Be Somebody, Pity the Proud One, and The Wrong King of People with the Robey Theatre Company.  He will appear in the upcoming mini-series Washington’s Armor and the films Rico San Marco, You’re Hired!, LA 4orce, and Melchizedek’s Men.

Yolanda Romersa

Mrs. Rosales
Yolanda Romersa - Mrs. Rosales

Yolanda Romersa is an accomplished, Award-winning Actress, both in Theatre Productions, and Short Film Productions. As Lead Actress, Director, Producer, Co-Writer and Composer for the Film Festival Award-winning Short Film Bi-lingual Musical PALOMA, playing opposite Steven Bauer, of SCARFACE and Traffic Fame, she has accumulated the BEST ACTRESS AWARD at WASHINGTON DC WORLD MUSIC and INDEPENDENT FILM FEST along with BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK for PALOMA. Other PALOMA Awards include the ACTION ON FILM /WITHOUT A BOX BEST IN SHOW Award, having competed with 420 entries, and the BEST MUSICAL SCORE at BRADENTON ART and MUSIC FILM FEST, being presented to her by Rocker Rick Derringer. Robert Moresco, Co-writer and Producer of the Oscar winning Film CRASH, has reviewed PALOMA, and written “Well Acted, Written and Well Directed. There is Certainly a Story Here”. She also has received a PALOMA BEST ACTRESS THEATRE AWARD, for PALOMA at the HUDSON THEATER from www.reviewplays.com.

Yolanda is a Voiceover Artist, whose character voices you can hear on a Disneyland ride and in World of Warcraft. She has done voiceovers for Bank of America, Starburst Candies and Roy Rogers Restaurants among others. Her latest VO was dubbing the English Voice for Delia on the popular Netflix Show HOUSE OF FLOWERS.

Yolanda Romersa is a Creative Artist and Soul, who seeks to constantly evolve, and reach new heights!

 

Tory Devon Smith

Sir Washington
Tory Devon Smith - Sir Washington

Tory Devon Smith is a stage and screen actor currently living in Los Angeles, California. A native of Bakersfield, California, he graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Theatre. His most recent TV credits include: Ava DuVernay’s Cherish The Day, Emmy-Award winner Zac & Mia now streaming on Netflix, and The Coop streaming on EKO, an ineractive storytelling platform. Other notable credits include Netflix’s The Get Down directed by Academy-Award nominee Baz Luhrman, BET’s Zoe Ever After alongside Grammy-Award winner Brandy, and ABC’s Modern Family. Tory will soon be seen in the thriller This Game’s Called Murder starring Ron Pearlman, and the independent dramedy Hollywood Fringe with Justin Kirk. Tory is currently starring in and producing his first film titled The Baldwin Archives, where he portrays esteemed author, essayist, and playwright James Baldwin. Tory is currently repped by Tracy Christian of TCA Mgmt Talent Agency and David Laffey of McGuffin Talent Management.

Nadejda Klein

Costumes
Nadejda Klein - Costumes

Nadejda Klein was born in Bulgaria. She studied with Lee Strasberg for ten years and played  numerous  roles  at  his  theater  including  Lady McBeth. In the course of her long acting career, she has worked with many well-known directors: Blake Edwards (S.O.B.), George Peppard (Five Days from Home), and Gil Cates (The  Last  Married  Couple  in  America) among others. Nadejda was last seen at The Odyssey Theatre in A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Jack Heller.

Tamir Yardenne

Sound Design
Tamir Yardenne - Sound Design

Tamir Yardenne attended New York University - Tisch School of the Arts. He works in Los Angeles as actor, producer, and writer. He is happy to have assisted the incredible cast of The Dean's Office  with sound design and rehearsal management. www.tamirfilms.com
 

 

Allison Surlock

Technical Director

Allison Sulock credits can be found at http://www.museinitiative.com.

Rebecca Schoenberg

Stage Manager, Board Operator

Rebecca Schoenberg's credits may be found at https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/429359-rebecca-schoenberg

Donors

Donors, Contributors and Supporters  

PaSean Ashley
Elizabeth Baine

 

Sylvia Beckford
Locksley Beckford

 

Latonya Borsay
Dexter Brown

 
Julia Carroll  

Michelle Clomax
Shasa Dabner

 
Melissa Denton  

Kareem Ferguson
Mary Fordham

 

Diane Gibson
Jasen Govine

 
Joyce Guy  

Andrea Harvey
Nadejda Klein
Cassandra Rogers Lampkin

 
Aisha Lee  
Charles J. Lee  

Georgette Lee
Mary Lee

Michael Lee
Julie Martini

Matt McHugh

 
Maurice Montgomery  

Dr. Jacqueline Payne
Neil Russell

 

Ellen J. Sell
LaTanya Smith
Malissa Strong

 

Nakea Tucker

 

 

 

 
 
   

Playwright's Note

Thank you all for supporting live theatre during the worse health crisis of our time.  I pray for the health and safety of you and yours. I am amazed at how our gifted cast, and crew came together to make this production happen and am indebted to the director, Sherrie Lofton for her guidance and patience.  The Hollywood Fringe Festival is not an easy undertaking because it lacks resources, and during a pandemic it lacks boots on the ground, because people want to be in the safety of their homes.  Thankfully our team was unstoppable and smart.  Everybody put their two-cents in and made the rehearsal space work, the old props function, the costumes pop, and the script better.  

Since the death of George Floyd I have thought deeply about the other pandemic in our society, racism.  The Dean's Office is an invitation to talk about ills that are accepted or simply denied in our society.  With peace, understanding and courage, I hope you will keep the conversation alive.  

Joyce Lee

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