By LeeAnét Noble, director of belonging, Shakespeare Theatre Company “I am happy to have been able to come back to DC to perform with you all. The students are so talented. This Shakespeare Theatre program is phenomenal!” ‘― Edwina Findley, STC performer, award-winning actress, best-se lling author, star of The Residenceon Netflix LeeAnét Noble As a graduate of the newly named Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, I was excited to return to DC in 2019 after 15 years in NYC. As a high school student, I participated in the education programs at Shakespeare  theater Company (STC), and in my junior year at Howard, I saw The Oedipus Plays at STC. This production placed the ancient Greek story in Africa, starring legendary classical actors such as Earle Hyman and Avery Brooks. This adaptation allowed me to see classical  theater in a new way, a way that included actors who looked like me. This is what first piqued my interest in STC. Now, in my role on the senior staff and the artistic team, I have the opportunity to create new connections and bring audiences to classical theater. I joined the company during an incredible transformation under the artistic direction of Simon Godwin. His vision of expanding the classical canon and what classical  theater means allowed for new adventures.  Upon starting at STC, my team and I were eager to explore ways to connect the theater more closely with Howard University. Collaborating with professors and leadership, we formed a program to celebrate plays that deserve a space in the classical canon. In planning discussions with Simon Godwin, Drew Lichtenberg, Eric Ruffin, Soyica Colbert, and others, rare scripts and rarely produced productions by playwrights of color were uncovered. Dr. Colbert discovered a screenplay of Paule Marshall’s classic novel Brown Girl, Brownstones; we dived in with a cohort of students from Howard University, exploring the themes, and culminating the research in a staged reading. This was the first time Marshall’s work was brought to the stage; her son, Evan K. Marshall, flew in from London just to see the reading!  These experiences allow the creative team at STC to see these works on their feet, give the next generation of  theater makers a deep dive into the dramaturgical process and performance opportunities as well as the experience of collectively discussing the works of great playwrights who have been overlooked. The program has also resulted in student actors being seen by local casting directors and landing roles on the STC stage in mainstage productions. Rebecca Celeste, who was recently seen in the Helen Hayes–nominated production of Merry Wives, participated in the program two years in a row.  The Staged Reading and Dramaturgy program begins with six weeks of dramaturgical sessions led by STC’s artistic producer, Dr. Drew Lichtenberg, and culminates with a staged reading at The Klein Theatre.  This year, for the program’s fifth anniversary, we are focusing on Derek Walcott‘s Dream on Monkey Mountain. The reading features students from Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and Morgan State University’s Musical Theatre Division. This is the first time these two departments have performed together. The dialect and vocal coaching was led by actress/comedian/director/author/producer /community activist Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, with additional dramaturgical work by Dr. Nina Angela Mercer and student dramaturg Adeola Okewole from HU’s English Department. Over the years, we have dived into and performed Wole Soyinka’s Death and the Kings Horseman, Paule Marshall’s Brown Girl, Brownstones, Suzan-Lori Parks’ In the Blood, and Ama Ata Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost. We thought it was important to have the students in conversation and performance with professional actors like Keith David, Harriett D. Foy, Edwina Findley, Hill Harper, and Phyllis Yvonne Stickney. Here is what a few of our participants have to say about the program: “Ever since we started this program, working with the Howard University students each year has become one of the highlights of my 15-year tenure at STC. I feel lucky that I get to lead dramaturgical conversations and investigations into plays like Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of a Ghost, Derek Walcott’s Dream on Monkey Mountain, and Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman. I’ve loved these plays since I first read them many years ago, and seeing them on our stages is a thrill. But more importantly, this program also expands awareness and raises consciousness, while providing young, talented students with an entrée into the profession. It’s been inspiring for me to see the students engaging with these modern classics, and I feel pride at seeing them practice their craft.” — Dr. Drew Lichtenberg, dramaturg and STC’s artistic producer “I had the pleasure of working on the project, Brown Girl, Brownstones, under the direction of LeeAnét  Noble and alongside fellow Bison artists from Howard University. I think it’s important to continue these programs, which connect professional artists and students, because of the networking, fellowship, conversation, and creativity that takes place when artists gather. A moment that stands out for me was when the students formed a circle to warm up. I joined the circle and shared some of my warm-up techniques with them, and they gave me a few that they used. In that moment, we became one.” — Harriett D. Foy, award-winning actor (Broadway and Starz P Valley) Dream on Monkey Mountain’ key art, Shakespeare Theatre Company Dream on Monkey Mountain is an allegorical journey through the dream of Mekak, a self-loathing, imprisoned man in the West Indies. We enter his mind through the poetic prose for which Walcott is renowned. Joined by Moustique, his friend (and, at times, foe), a mysterious woman, and a series of other characters as he navigates his dream, we are faced with layered themes such as colonialism, religion, class, and identity. Intense drama, comedy, and magical realism collide in this tour de force play by Nobel Prize–winning playwright Derek Walcott.  I am honored to direct this reading, and I hope you can join us for the free event on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7 pm at the Klein Theatre (450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC). The post STC celebrates fifth year of Staged Reading and Dramaturgy Program with ‘Dream on Monkey Mountain’ appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less