Artists Talk with LVA: August 8, 2024

Larry Muhammad has written a new play, Who Killed Alberta Jones? and Brandi LaShay will play the title role in its world premiere from Redline Performing Arts at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Tune into WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

Larry Muhammad is an award-winning playwright and producing director of Kentucky Black Repertory Theatre. His plays have been performed in New York at New Federal Theatre; in Louisville, KY at Actors Theatre, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Speed Art Museum, and Muhammad Ali Center; in Cincinnati, OH at the Aronoff Center; and the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. They include: Looking for Leroy, Last Night at Mikell’s, Derby Mine 4, Jockey Jim, Double V

Brandi LaShay, is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Brandi is an Alumnus of Claflin University and the University of Louisville's Theatre Arts Program. She furthered her career as a resident performer and Education Assistant at the St. Louis Black Repertory Company. She is currently certified in African American Theatre and serves the Louisville Community and JCPS as a Performance Practitioner and Resident Teaching Artist. In addition to her career as a freelance artist and performance Practitioner,  Brandi also works as the Museum Theatre Director at Historic Locust Grove. Brandi has been an inaugural creative partner with IdeasXLabs and the (Un)Known Project, which she last performed as Beverly in Journey’s to Freedom. Brandi identifies herself as a Dope Black Female Artist. DBFA is a label which defines the layers of her authentic creativity and artistic edge.

Redline Performing Arts presents Who Killed Alberta Jones? by Larry Muhammad
August 8-10 in the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Artebella On The Radio: August 27

From top left; Keith McGill, Keith Waits, Clara Harris, Kate Folkins from Stage One observing, Dr. Janna Segal, & Jada Dixon

StageOne Family Theatre has commissioned a team of highly experienced artist-educators to create a series of touring shows for students. Dramaturg Dr. Janna Segal (bottom right) joins us to talk about the project with the three writers, Keith McGill, Clara Harris, and Jada Dixon. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com, this Thursday @ 10am, to hear Keith Waits talk with Louisville area artists on LVA's Artebella On The Radio.

Dr. Janna Segal (Dramaturg) is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at UofL, where she teaches classes in theatre history, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, and Shakespeare.

Jada Dixon (Writer) is an actor, director, playwright, teaching artist, and facilitator based in Colorado. She is a two-time True West Award Winner and was also accepted into the 2019 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab.

Clara Harris (Writer) has worked and collaborated on projects for stage, film, and audio as an actor, writer, and producer. She is also the founder of Swamp Witch Studio, which produces Night Owl Theatre, an audio drama podcast.

Keith McGill (Writer) is an actor and director, most recently having directed GHOST for StageOne Children’s Theatre, as well as a playwright. He is also a freelance teaching artist for Commonwealth Theatre Center (CTC), Actors Theatre, and ArtsReach.

Artebella On The Radio: August 20

Actors Theatre Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming talks with us about the entirely virtual 2020-21 season and how it has presented creative opportunities for the company. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com Thursday mornings to hear Keith Waits talk with artists..

before coming to ATL Robert Barry Fleming served as Associate Artistic Director at Cleveland Play House from 2016–2019. Prior to Cleveland Play House, he served as the Director of Artistic Programming at Arena Stage; world premieres he commissioned, developed and championed during this tenure include the 2017 Best Musical Tony Award-winner Dear Evan Hansen, Mary Kathryn Nagle’sSovereignty, John Strand’s The Originalist, Katori Hall’s Blood Quilt, Karen Zacarías’ Destiny Of Desire and the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner Sweat, by Lynn Nottage. Fleming was an Associate Producer for the Off-Broadway premiere of The Two-Character Play by Tennessee Williams, starring Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif. He was also an Associate Professor (tenured) and Chair of the University of San Diego Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Department.

Artebella On The Radio: August 13

Playwright Larry Muhammad, founder of KY Black Repertory Theatre, actor and producer Alphaeus Green, Jr, and teacher, actor, director & activist Kristi Papailler, all of whom have worked extensively in the Louisville area.

We join the conversation as Larry Muhammad is talking about the original production of Double V, his play about Frank Stanley, Sr. the founder of The Louisville Defender.

Note: the name Kristi is trying to recall near the very end is Eugene Nesmith, former Co-Director of the African American Theatre Program at the University of Louisville.

Larry Muhammad is a playwright and former journalist working for the Courier-Journal. His plays have been produced widely including a New York production of Looking for Leroy in 2019. He is the founder of the Black Repertory Theatre.

Alphaeus Green, Jr., is an actor and producer who worked extensively in Louisville for Black Repertory Theatre, Faithworks Studios, Stage One Family Theatre, Smoked Apple Theatre, and Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company.

Kristi Papailler is an actor, director, teacher and activist who is now Assistant Professor of Theatre at California State University San Bernardino. A Louisville native, she taught at Central High School and was the co-founder of the Juneteenth Theatre Company.

Listen every Thursday at 10 am on WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com to hear LVA's Artebella On The Radio.