2020 Digital Internship Program
Desdemona
By Toni Morrison, Lyrics by Rokia Traoré
December 11 – 13, 2020
2 FREE Live-Streamed Performances:
Friday, December 11 @ 6:00 PM PST
Sunday, December 13 @ 2:00 PM PST
Performances presented via YouTube
Click below to reserve admission!
Desdemona by Toni Morrison is based on the character Desdemona from Shakespeare’s Othello. Morrison induces an out-of-body experience through her poetry, music, and depth of emotional perception. The play is set post-Desdemona’s death, in the in-between, where she meets other characters who died before her and they exchange perspectives. Throughout the show, Desdemona is forced to reckon with her role in the relationships that defined her life.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Desdemona would like to acknowledge the land of our creative team who have worked together to build this production. One of our team members occupies the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Five Civilized Tribes—the Choctaw, Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, and Seminole peoples. Another member occupies the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations—the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie nations. Two of our team members live on the land of the Osage and Shawandasse Tula (Eastern Shawnee) people. Another team member has been living on land that once belonged to the Tocobaga people, but now belongs to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Lastly, one of our team members inhabits the Lenape territory and another member inhabits the land of the Matinecock. Despite the following tribes being forcibly removed from their territory throughout history, these tribes strive to better society and support their communities. This land acknowledgment honors and respects all tribes where our creative team live and work across the United States and Canada.
Desdemona for Heartly House
The production team for Desdemona is raising funds for Heartly House. This foundation works to help victims of intimate partner abuse, rape/sexual assault, and child abuse who are seeking emergency shelter, counseling, legal services and other programs/services in Frederick County Maryland. Heartly House strives to end sexual assault and abusive behavior. Empowering victims of abuse is a prevalent theme in Desdemona and we were inspired to take part in supporting this wonderful organization. Please consider donating to the fundraiser using the link below and feel free to contact their 24-Hour Hotline/ Crisis Intervention (301-662-8800) if you are ever in need of assistance.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison was an American novelist, essayist, book editor, and college professor. She is known for her innovative work of creating animated realities and unwritten stories advocating for human rights. Ms. Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988. She also was awarded the National Humanities Medal (2000) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012). In 1989, Morrison began to teach courses in Humanities and African American studies at Princeton. Her other works include Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eyes, and Beloved. Sadly, she passed away recently on August 5th, 2019, but her legacy lives on through her work and in the hearts of her followers. "If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it."
CAST
Sharon Shao
Desdemona
Sharon Shao (she/her) is a Bay Area native actor, teaching artist, and musician. She holds a double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. Her favorite local credits include Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes), Hamlet (Ubuntu Theater Project), Iron Shoes (Shotgun Players), and UTOPIA (CuttingBall Theater), her first virtual theater premiere during Covid-19. Aside from acting, Sharon is passionate about her SoulTalk Collective, an interdisciplinary troupe that gathers artists to meet and inspire personal and collective transformation. She also creates original work with The Forum in Oakland, devising, performing, and directing work that integrates theater and journalism. sharonshao.biz
Deandre Sevon
Othello
Deandre Sevon is a student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he studies acting. From Miami, Florida, He is excited to be apart of this production and is grateful to be collaborating with other artists during these times. TV credits include Law and Order: SVU (NBC), Person of Interest (CBS), and Saturday Night Live (NBC). Stage Credits include IBIS (off-Broadway), Runaways (Off-Broadway), Mother Courage and Her Children (Off-Broadway), The Scottsboro Boys (Center Theatre Group), and Thriller Live (Int'l Tour).
Gena Sims
Soun/Sa'ran
Gena Sims received her BFA in Music Theatre from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2019. After graduating, she won first prize at the National Society of Arts and Letters Drama Competition.
Last fall, Gena made her Off-Broadway debut as Lady Caroline in An Enchanted April. She has also been a featured singer in Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Vision Tour. And most recently, she made her feature film debut in Stefan Rollins’ film Dream a Little Dream.
Other awards include being named a 2014 National YoungArts Finalist, and both the John Kennedy Arthur Award and Thomas Auclair Memorial Award at Carnegie Mellon. And, Gena’s favorite credits include new musical workshops for SKiNFoLK and The Perfect Mate at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera; Violet and Floyd Collins with Front Porch Theatricals; and Detroit ‘67 (Chelle), Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider), and Medea/Shulie (Medea) at CMU.
You can learn more about Gena Sims at her website www.genasims.com. And you can follow her at www.facebook.com/genasings, on Instagram @genasims19, and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/genasims).
Gena is also the proud founder of the Autism Theatre Project. You can find more information about that on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AutismTheatreProject), and on the Autism Theatre Project YouTube channel. Enjoy the show!
Muhaddisah
M. Brabantio/Emilia
Muhaddisah is a Toronto-based theatre-maker and actor, thrilled to make her American theatre debut in one of her favourite roles — Emilia — in Davis Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Desdemona” by Toni Morrison. This summer, she directed the world premiere of a new translation of Euripides’ “Alcestis” by Professor Emeritus Roger Beck. Notable credits include Clytemnestra in Aeschylus’ “Oresteia”, and Janine in Wajdi Mouawad’s “Scorched”. She is so very thankful to the Company for welcoming her into their artistic sanctum in a time when those are scarce.
Pablo Lopez
Cassio
PABLO LOPEZ (he/him/his) is a storyteller-performer from Los Angeles. He performed at the American High School Theatre Festival in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his high school performance of The Crucible in 2011. He placed second and first several times for the English Speaking Union. He was awarded the Herb Alpert Emerging Young Artist Award in 2012 by the California State Summer School for the Arts. He participated in the Los Angeles Regional August Wilson Monologue Competition in 2012 and 2013, and took second place for the National AWMC in 2013. After attending UC Davis for a year, Pablo joined the wonderful DSE community for four seasons in 2014-2017, performing and Associate Producing for the shows She Loves Me, Twelfth Night, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Cyrano de Bergerac and Bells Are Ringing. He went on to earn a BFA in Theatre Original Works at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA from 2015-2018. In Seattle, he has premiered many new plays, like The Journey of the Saint and querencia: an imagined autobiography about forbidden fruits with ESE Teatro 2017 & 2018. He also performed at 12th Avenue Arts with The Strawberry Theatre Workshop in their 2016 production of Lydia. He fostered conversation as a dramaturg for the Cornish production of Wild Kate, and is a budding playwright and poet. He hopes you enjoy the show!
CREATIVE TEAM
MC Hedrick
Director (Creative Team/Artistic)
MC Hedrick- MC is a Theatre Director, Playwright, Actor, and Dramaturge. Currently pursuing a Comprehensive Theatre Degree at Oklahoma State University, while also running two Theatre Companies. MC hopes to go on to work for a Shakespeare Company stateside or abroad after graduating.
Greta Smith
Director (Creative Team/Artistic)
Greta Smith is a 22-year-old stage manager who is absolutely excited to be working on Desdemona for the Davis Shakespeare Festival. When she isn't spending every minute with her dog Obie, Greta can be found enjoying the little things in life: listening to music, reading plays, cooking, and playing video games. She is infinitely grateful that DSF allows her to do what she loves during this unprecedented year, and she would like to thank her mother Polly and her mentor Casey for their unerring faith
Quest Sawyer
Movement Coordinator, Web Design (Artistic Team/Creative Team)
Quest Sawyer is currently an undergraduate senior at California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) majoring in Theatre B.A. Once she graduates this spring, she will be returning to Cal U to receive her Masters in Secondary Education Certification of Communication. Quest has always had a passion for performing ever since she was seven years old. Her most recent projects include Into the Woods (Granny and Giant), Elf the Musical (Deb), and Legally Blonde the Musical (Ensemble). This semester she is currently the Treasurer of the University Players of Cal U and working on preparing her play, "Perspective", for her thesis. In the Davis Shakespeare Festival's Digital Internship program, she learned more about the behind the scenes process of production as well as new ways to create an accessible and inclusive space, which allows all diverse ideas to be heard. She hopes you enjoy the show and travel the in-between with Desdemona.
Joshua Gregg Fried
Music Director, Composer
Joshua Gregg Fried (he/him) is a third-year student at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a BFA in music composition as well as minors in conducting, music education, and Hispanic studies. He studies composition under Nancy Galbraith. Josh music directed and composed music for a show in the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama New Works Series and music directed a new work in the CMU School of Drama Playground Festival. He has also music directed for Scotch’n’Soda, a student-run theatre organization, and the Long Island Theater Workshop. He served as the music assistant for a show in the Oscar Hammerstein Festival at the Bucks County Playhouse.
Catherine Muldoon
Community & Engagement Outreach, Web Design (Artistic team)
Catherine Muldoon is currently a student at St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Studying her last year of Public relations. Prior to this education, Catherine has received a Master's in Education, focusing on curriculum studies from the University of Windsor. Her Undergraduate is in Drama Education and community with a Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Windsor. The Davis Shakespeare Festival's Digital Internship program has taught me more about Arts administration and arts communication in community outreach, which is a considerable interest for Catherine. She also would like to thank The Davis Shakespeare program for allowing her to be a part of this art experience. I hope you enjoy the performance.
Aggie Woodbury
Dramaturgy, Community Outreach (Artistic Team)
Aggie Woodbury graduated in May from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama with her BFA in Dramaturgy and a minor in Social & Political History. Since then, she has been hunkering down in her Pittsburgh apartment, dabbling in freelance dramaturgy, woodworking, and baking the perfect lemon roll. She is grateful to Davis Shakespeare Festival's Digital Internship Program for creating such a connected team from so far apart.
Vivienne Maestrado
Marketing (Artistic Team)
Vivienne Maestrado is delighted in marketing and partaking in her first production, Desdemona as a DSF intern. She is a student at Moore College of Art and Design majoring in fashion design with a minor in business.
Use the virtual lobby below to learn more about the show!
BLOG POSTS
Intro to Desdemona
On December 11th and 13th of 2020, Desdemona speaks once again; this time online.