The Colored Museum

The Colored Museum was first produced in 1985. So much has happened since then to Black people in America. And yet these stereotypes still persist as does the resilience and the brilliance of Black Americans. Each exhibit in this museum allows one to perhaps laugh or cry, above all we hope to make you consider the impact of these images on real people who live these lives.    - Rosalyn Coleman Williams

About the Cast

Ronald Benson-El Jr. is a fourth year actor in the BFA conservatory of SUNY Purchase. Ronald is from Washington, DC. His past credits are Roe v. Wade, The Possibilities, Blood Wedding, and Marisol. He would like to thank his family and friends for believing in him and supporting him.

Cici Koueth is a fourth year in the acting conservatory from South Sudan, Africa and grown up in the sunshine state of Florida. Roles embraced throughout her journey at Purchase include Charlene (Roe vs. Wade), Dumb Woman/Servant (The Possibilities), Mother (Blood Wedding), Xillah (A Bright Room Called Day: Revisited). Outside of Purchase: Cece (Obama-ology), and Evonne Goolagong (Frost/Nixon). Cici would like to acknowledge and share gratitude for her family and friends. Peace!

Ta’Neesha Murphy is a fourth year BFA actor from Washington DC. Purchase credits include Blood Wedding (Death as a Beggar Woman), The Possibilities (Girl/Woman), and Marisol (Angel). Other credits include The Bluest Eye (Mama) and Maliki Simba (Nala). She thanks her beautiful family and everyone for watching. 여러분들 봐주셔서 감사합니다!

Marlynn N. Pollard is a fourth year actress in the BFA acting conservatory from The Bronx, New York. Purchase rep credits include: Allison (Roe vs. Wade), Grandmother/Ensemble (The Possibilities), Maiden 1 / Pole Person (Blood Wedding), Annabella Gotchling (A Bright Room Called Day: Revisited). Marlynn would like to acknowledge her family, friends and teachers for all of their support. She would like to dedicate all performances to the loving memory of her aunt Josephine Greenaway.

Aaron J. Stewart is a fourth year BFA actor from Highland, New York. His Purchase rep credits include: Blood Wedding (The Moon), A Bright Room Called Day (Traum/Swetts), The Possibilities (Weaver Man/Ensemble), The Colored Museum (Guy/Miss Roj/Narrator/The Kid). He would like to thank all of his friends and family for supporting him, and his teachers and directors for helping him grow in his artistic process.

About the Production Team

Harrison Graser (Music Director) is a senior in the Jazz Studies BM program, from Buffalo, NY. This is his first time in a Purchase theatrical production, but he has music directed/performed in various productions since around 2010. He would like to thank his family, friends, and teachers for their support.

Briana “Bri” Padgett (PSM) is a fourth year stage manager who hails from Washington, DC. Purchase credits include Digital Fall Festival (PM), Marisol (SM), and Bully (ASM) among others. She would like to thank her mother, her biggest supporter, her amazing friends, and incredible production team!

Nickolas Lambert (Lighting Designer) is a fourth year BFA theatre design/technology major from Poughkeepsie, New York. His previous design credits at Purchase include Sound Design for Mr. Burns, Exit Strategy, Helen, Bibles & Candy, Not My Place, A Bright Room Called Day, and Everything you Love. This will be Nick’s first Lighting design credit at Purchase. Nick would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support as well as Dj, Gaby and Ben for their hard work. ​

Cori Keto (Sound Designer) is a fourth year design tech student from Hyde Park, New York, concentrating in stage management. This last semester marks her first semester designing sound at Purchase. She feels incredibly lucky to learn so much about both stage management and sound, and would like to thank everyone involved.

Becca Lambert (Technical Director) is a third year technical direction student from Leominster, Massachusetts. Past credits include Bibles and Candy/Helen (Master Carpenter), and What To Send Up When It Goes Down (Production Carpenter). Thank you to her family, including Sasha and Diego for getting her this far.

David Aab (Projection Technician/Projections Board Operator) is a second year lighting designer from Warwick, NY. His past credits include Cheat Day (ME), La Gente De Mucho Mas Allá (ME), and Excerpts from Some People and Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop (ME). He would like to thank his friends and family for supporting him throughout this journey.​

Anthony Marinaro (Projection Designer) is a second year lighting designer from Hopatcong, NJ. His past credits include Bibles & Candy (Run Crew), Blood Wedding (Run Crew), Marisol (Deck Electrician), A Bright Room Called Day (Deck Electrician), Cheat Day (Programmer), La Gente De Mucho Mas Allá (Programmer), and Excerpts from Some People and Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop (Programmer). He would like to thank his friends and family for supporting him.

Best known as an accomplished actor with numerous Broadway, film, and television credits, Rosalyn Coleman Williams is also the director of the award-winning short films Allergic To Nuts and Drawing Angel. Both films have been seen on several TV stations nationally and screened in more than 50 film festivals in the U.S. and around the world. Other film director credits include BFF, Moth to a Flame, Driving Fish, Broken, The Starter Marriage, Layla’s Mourning, What I Wouldn’t Give for a Good Cigar, Twisted, Ends & Beginnings, Three Weeks in Hell, Scrambled Softly and Would I Lie to You. She was also the director of the re-enactment portion in the documentary Black Sorority Project.

During her tenure in show business, she has worked with Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Charles Dutton, Tom Cruise, Danny Glover, Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, Delroy Lindo, and Alfre Woodward, among others.

Williams is co-host and co-creator of Everything Acting Podcast, an internet radio show that informs, inspires, and demystifies the actor’s journey. With more than 70,000 downloads every month from 25 countries, it is the number one podcast for acting in iTunes.

Williams graduated cum laude with a BFA from Howard University and earned her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where she received the prestigious Carol Dye Award, the only award given for acting. She is a member of New York Women in Film and Television and a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. www.rosalyncoleman.com

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College