JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
JULIAN ELIJAH MARTINEZ: Theater has been the vehicle that has gotten me through many trials in my life. It was theater that helped me through High School, and Theater got me into college. I’ve followed theater thus far, and much of my success in life I have to equate to this field I’ve chosen.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
JEM: Better than were we were, but not were we should be. As we find ourselves having more cases of colorblindness, each of our prejudices are brought to light. Instead of embracing our differences, we are trying to ignore them in passive aggressive ways, which isn’t a good thing as much as we like to trick ourselves into believing it is.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences? 
JEM: Everyone knows the pursuit of something his or her passionate in. It's this story that I think resonates with audiences. We become invested in the story of these artists because we hope that through perseverance we will have the impact that these artists had.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
JEM: I am playing John Biggers.  John and I value truth in our work. We want to be uncompromising in how we approach our art. We hope that we our pursuit of truth will lead us to making lasting change in our world and we hope to showcase the beauty of our culture. 

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
JEM: I will be joining the Yale School of Drama in the fall. I am also the Assistant to the Director for Theater Alliance’s production of Broke-ology, opening this august.  You can follow me at my twitter handle @julianelijah even though I tend to tweet a lot about nerd culture. My website julianelijahmartinez.com is going to be updated in the near future. Look for an announcement soon.

JULIAN ELIJAH MARTINEZ (John Biggers) is a teaching artist based in Washington DC and a graduate of Elon University. DC Credits include:Locomotion (John F. Kennedy Center); Jekyll and Hyde (Synetic Theater Company); Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, Cymbeline, and A Midsummer Nights Dream (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); and Lyme Park (the Hegria). Regional Credits include: Hamlet and All's Well That Ends Well (Orlando Shakespeare Theater) and Man of La Mancha (Hangar Theater). Elijah would like to thank Theater J for the opportunity to play and perform with them, and is infinitely proud of this amazing cast. julianelijahmartinez.com

JAQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
SASHA OLINICK: When I was nine years old, my parents took me and  to see a production of WAITING FOR GODOT. We hadn’t yet covered absurdism or alienation in fourth grade, so clearly a lot of it went over my head. But I was mesmerized but what was happening on stage, so transfixed in fact that I stood up for the whole second act, completely unaware that I was on my feet. Fortunately I was a pretty short kid and didn’t block anyone’s view.

I did some acting in high school and with the community theater in my hometown but opportunities were pretty limited. By the time I got to college I’d put the idea of being an actor on the back burner, but I was fortunate to attend Brown University when Paula Vogel was on the faculty, and I saw a professional production of THE BALTIMORE WALTZ that blew my mind. A semester later, a student director had the chutzpah to direct the play on campus- I wasn’t really part of the theater community at Brown at this point and had no clue that this guy had more or less alienated most of the actors on campus. So I showed up to audition with just a handful of other people and got the role of The Third Man. I’d say it was playing that role that really got me hooked.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish Immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
SO: That is such a challenging and important question! I’m trying to avoid the clichéd answer of “we’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go”, but I’ll probably end up with something along those lines. Given our country’s history, it is impossible to over state the significance that we have now twice elected an African American President and put an African American family in the White House. In each of the categories you mention above: the arts, academia, and the military we have seen African Americans achieve at the highest levels and ascend to the highest positions of leadership. This reality deserves recognition and celebration. Nevertheless, there’s a danger of conflating the success of individuals with the notion that we’ve somehow achieved a meaningful level of equality. I think it has somehow become easier to ignore the fact that the economic disparity between African Americans  and White Americans and the disparity in academic achievement between these same two groups has been widening in most parts of the country over the past twenty years. In many ways, vibrant and powerful symbols of success, as important as they are, tend to blind us, or at least blind white America, to the reality of more disturbing trends. While we’ve removed most of the legal barriers to equality, we struggle as a country to recognize and address the fact that legal equality does not necessarily translate to equal access to resources and opportunities.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists such as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?
SO: Let me answer this question just from the perspective of the character I’m playing- and in a way that I think can relate to your previous question. One of things that most interested me about the play and made me want to play Viktor Lowenfeld, was his own complicated views on race. Clearly he was progressive for his time, and he forcefully challenged Hampton’s institutional views of what its students were capable of.  He encountered the unique form racism in the Jim Crow south for the first time as a highly educated intellectual, unencumbered by an American upbringing, and this allowed him to see his students through a different lens. Nevertheless, his thinking still revealed a degree of racial prejudice- prejudice that he may have construed as being positive, but a prejudice that limited his perspective. The play deals to some degree with his growing awareness and acknowledgement of this. The portrayal of Viktor demonstrates to audiences that an individual can hate racism and still be to some degree racist- that I may be simultaneously fighting to create opportunities for others while still, perhaps unconsciously, restricting the terms of those opportunities. If we really hope to dismantle racism in this country then we have to look deeply inward at our own prejudices and biases- which are often subtle, complicated and hard to discuss. I think THE HAMPTON YEARS can be a catalyst for this kind examination and conversation.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if, anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief systems?
SO: I am playing Viktor Lowenfeld. When I‘m not on the stage, (and often even when I am on the stage) I’m in the classroom, so I connect most strongly with Viktor’s passion to teach and inspire others. I have experienced that powerful moment of watching something suddenly click for a student, so I think I get how the hope for that result motivates Viktor to push John and Samella throughout the play.

Although I don’t know the first thing about visual arts we talked as a cast during the rehearsal process about the many parallels to teaching and studying acting. The theoretical difference between haptic and visual artists that fascinated Viktor and led him to encourage his students to explore the physical sensation of painting and sculpting as a way of accessing and expressing the self, reminds me a lot of movement exercises we did in my conservatory training. These exercises were primarily about getting us out of our heads and into our bodies, to listen to and honor our genuine impulses. In working with acting students as a teacher, I try to emphasize that emotional truth is often more easily and effectively found through a physical or physiological process than through an intellectual one. That was a hard pill for me to swallow as a student so I try to be sensitive but insistent about it as a teacher.

One of Viktor’s lines that resonates most deeply with me as a teacher comes very close to the end of the play. In the final scene, as Viktor is preparing to leave Hampton he is simultaneously urging Samella Lewis (then Sanders) to apply for a teaching position there. Samella worries that she doesn’t know enough to teach others. Viktor responds by saying “Well, beyond technique and history, there’s nothing else you can teach. You can only encourage your students and help them develop their vision.” This feels very similar to something I say to my students. I begin the semester by telling them that I can’t teach them how to be actors- that this is something they will have to teach themselves.  I can give them some technical training to make their physical and vocal instrument more responsive and expressive- but my primary job is to create a challenging and safe environment where they can discover through trial and error, failure and success, the power and delight of doing the work of the actor: which stated in an overly simplistic way is to live the moment to moment action of a fictional event in an honest and compelling way.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
SO: I’m excited to be part of the last reading for Theater J’s Locally Grown festival this season.  Come check out PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by DC playwright Renee Calarco, Monday, June 24th @ 7:30 pm!

SASHA OLINICK (Viktor Lowenfeld) is pleased to be performing at Theater J for the first time this season in both The Hampton Years and Our Class. Recent Washington credits include: Charlie Cowell/Constable Locke in The Music Man at Arena Stage, Mozart in Amadeus, Will in The Book Club Play, and Freddy Miles inThe Talented Mr. Ripley, Passpartout in Around the World in 80 Days at Round House Theatre, George Washington in Chasing George Washington, at the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences,  Mr. Toad in Wind In the Willows, at Imagination Stage,  Murk in Savage in Limbo at MetroStage, and Guy in God’s Ear at Rep Stage.  Regional credits include work with Maryland Shakespeare Festival, American Shakespeare Center, Trinity Rep, Vermont Stage and the Merry Go Round Playhouse. Mr. Olinick has an MFA from the Trinity Rep Conservatory, and teaches at Montgomery College, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, and with the Educational Theatre Company.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
CRASHONDA EDWARDS: I was first introduced to theater from my forensics and debate coach when I was in the 10th grade. I had been staying after school for the debate team and needed something else to do on the days we didn’t have practice, so she suggested helping build the set for the next school production. After I helped build the set I auditioned for the next production and landed a lead role. After that I had the bug.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
CE: I believe we have come along way and still have so much work to do. Race relations are no longer black and white, and until this country can have healthy discussions about race and gender relations, we will continue to have issues.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences?
CE: I feel this play is so relevant to today’s audiences because everyone has faced adversity at some time in their life and this show is a brilliant example of human resilience.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system? 
CE: I play Samella Lewis in The Hampton Years and her sass and drive are things that we share. She has inspired me to chase after my dreams and never ever give up. 

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
CE: You can keep up with what’s next for me at www.CrashondaEdwards.com.   

CRASHONDA EDWARDS (Samella Lewis) most recently appeared as Castabella in The Atheist Tragedy and Marianna in All’s Well that End’s Well at the Shakespeare Theatre Company and George Washington University’s Academy for Classical Acting program’s repertory showcase. At the age of 17, she was accepted to the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts high school. Upon graduation, she pursued a BFA at Savannah College of Art and Design and during the summer studied at the New York Theatre Intensive. Following graduation, she went on to pursue her MFA at Shakespeare Theatre Company and George Washington University’s Academy for Classical Acting program. With an abundance of talent, drive, faith and skill, the next chapter of her life is sure to inspire.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
SARAH DOUGLAS: Honestly, I think it all started from watching the Carol Burnett Show as a kid!

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
SD: I think that a racial divide still influences almost every aspect of American life and culture.  The challenge of this time is to identify first and foremost with absolute equality, which is the most basic truth of the human race, without being deluded that that is enough.  We are such a short way out from institutionalized racism, the only way we can continue towards a balanced society is to be aware that social and economic segregation still shape our world, and take responsibility for making choices against that trend.  The idea of post-racial america is a dangerous falsehood.   I recognize racism embedded in people's language and behavior regularly, along with a pervasive lack of awareness, or fear of being exposed as being imperfect, which we all are.  We've come a long way, and have a long way to go.   

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences?
SD: I love how this play reveals the deeply personal and soulful process that these artists went through to create their work.  It is a good reminder, because we are so success-oriented nowadays.  In The Hampton Years we learn that, rather than beginning with success as the goal, if one begins with profound self-exlploration and then conveys that with integrity, success may well come along with many other personal benefits.  

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
SD: I play Margaret Lowenfeld, Viktor's wife.  I think I have a lot in common with her.  She was a nurturing mother-figure, not only to her own son and husband, but to so many of Viktor's students. She loved to entertain, and bring people together to enjoy food and music in a warm environment.  And she was very supportive and invested in the endeavors of her husband and those she cared for.  I like to think I play a similar role with my family and friends. 

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
SD: Website coming soon... send casting inquiries to douglas.sarahmay at gmai dot com!!!

SARAH DOUGLAS (Margaret Lowenfeld) is an actress, teaching artist, and therapeutic theatre facilitator.  She received her MFA from The American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre School’s Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.  In New York City, she was a lead artist and the Artistic Producer of The Mud/Bone Collective theatre company, and developed Impossible Country, a performance project that focused on the under-told stories of an asylum seekers currently living in New York City. Her credits include: The Public Theatre, Walkerspace, Studio 54, The Ontological theatre, The Vineyard Theatre, University Settlement, Studio 889, and Theatre Trouve.  Following her recent move to the DC area, Sarah played the role of Lydia in the Hub Theatre’s production of Big Love.  She is delighted to be a part of the world premier of The Hampton Years, at Theatre J.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? 
LOLITA MARIE: My mother took my brother and I to see our first stage play ever – Shout Up a Mornin’ when I was about 13 years old. We took a special trip from Hampton VA to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC (the big city) to see it. The way that I recall this play about John Henry is that it featured a 30+ person strong cast and was filled with high drama, beautiful songs, and fabulous costuming. That it made me at some points want to cry and then others to jump out of my seat to shout in triumph made an impression on me. I wanted to be a part of that magic one day. Some 17 years later, I had an opportunity to dip into my wish list and tried out for my first show.  I haven’t been off the stage for more than a season ever since. It is my passion.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.? 
LM: We still struggle with race relations in the U.S. This is clearly evidenced with stories that plague the news every day, though it is certainly not as overt as lynchings. What is even more disturbing to me however is the bigotry that exists within the African American community against ourselves.  It saddens me that in some instances we have bought in to the prevailing stereotypes and perpetuate them often without even realizing it.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences? 
LM: This play remains relevant because at its heart it is simply about people striving to better themselves against adversity.  This is a universal theme that applies to anyone and everyone trying to create a better world for themselves, their family, or the world. What do you do when you face obstacles? Are you a trail blazer like Samella? Someone who works within “the system,” to create your reality like Victor? Or, perhaps someone who is willing to fight (literally and figuratively) for the cause like Charles? 

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system? 
LM: I play Elizabeth Catlett, a Gleaner, and the Creole woman.  The research indicated that Elizabeth was very concerned with creating art that was reflected the “real” world. She often sculpted bodies of women that were curvey, with proportions to scale, likewise with children. When acting I attempt as well to not create a caricature but to infuse each person that I play with “realness” and “truth.”

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
LM: I have nothing lined up yet, however, please feel free to stay in touch at www.lolitamarie.com.

LOLITA-MARIE (Elizabeth Catlett) There is only sweet nostalgic joy in being a part of The Hampton Years.  Lolita-Marie was born and raised in the Hampton Roads area. Her son Brandon, along with many family and friends are proud to have been a part of the Hampton University collegiate family over the years.  Recent acting credits include: Hard Bargain Players: Hoodoo Love, The Colonial Players: Going to St. Ives, Constellation Theater: Blood Wedding, Elden Street Players: Ain’t Misbehavin, Port City Playhouse: No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs, andTheater J: Something You Did.  For a full resume please visit www.lolitamarie.com.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
COLIN SMITH: I got into theater in college as a Film student.  I fell in love with collaborative aspects of theater and the immediacy of it.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
CS: Race relations is always a difficult question for me to get a grasp on.  I suppose I like to believe that we are making great progress, but then I see or hear or read something that makes me realize how far we have to go.  There are so many layers of racism from the overt to the supremely subtle and though we may not be peeling them away entirely we are at least exposing more of the less apparent levels, at least I hope so.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences?
CS: I think the play is relevant because it talks about being truthful, both to yourself and to others.  A big part of this is understanding who we are and what we believe.  The primary characters of the play struggle with this understanding and that is a universal and eternal struggle.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
CS: I play president Maclean and the Navy Admiral.  I think the trait I have most in common with both characters is a stubbornly practical view to the world that supersedes any idealism.  I wish this were not the case as I then tend to accept things as they are as opposed to pushing for change,  look at that maybe I just gained a little more understanding of myself, thanks Jacqueline.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
CS: The next show I will be doing is "Neverwhere" with Rorschach Theatre which will open in August.  

COLIN SMITH (President Malcolm McLean and Southern Admiral) has appeared at Theatre J as the understudy for Crick in Photograph51.  He is a company member with Keegan Theatre where his acting credits include: August Osage County (Bill), Spring Awakening (Swing), Twelve Angry Men (Juror 8), The Crucible (Reverend Paris; Ireland/US), Noises Off   (Tim), The Graduate (Mr. Robinson), Dancing at Lughnasa (Michael), Translations (Manus; Helen Hayes nomination-outstanding ensemble), Glengarry Glen Ross (Williamson; Ireland/US)  and others.  Other D.C. credits include productions with The Washington Shakespeare Company, Forum Theatre, American Century Theatre, Charter Theatre and Journeyman Theatre.  His directing credits include Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Keegan Theatre) and Fool for Love (Keegan Theatre; Ireland/US).  Colin is a graduate of St. John’s College, The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and The Actors Repertory Theatre. 

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
DAVID LAMONT WILSON: I always tell people, “I didn’t choose theatre, it chose me” … I can’t ever remember wanting to do anything else but be an actor.  Of course there are other things that I excel at, but acting is my first passion.  The show that made it official for me was seeing the 1986 TV adaptation of the staged version of “All My Sons” with Aiden Quinn and Joan Allen. 

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
DLW: I feel we’re in this odd place right now … where it’s obvious that a super amount of progress has been made as evidenced by our first black president, or such stats as currently there are 35,000 millionaires in the US, and 1.9 million black owned business, etc.  But I still feel there is still a very subtle undercurrent of racism that still exists especially between African Americans and Caucasians that sometimes feels like it will never go away.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences?
DLW: The Hampton Years is relevant today, because no matter your race, profession, or socio-economic status, CHALLENGES are universal.  Everyone has them.  And because we all have them, there is always going to be a need to see shining examples of how to overcome them.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
DLW: I have the honor of playing Charles White, who was not only a gifted artist but also an educator with a passion for passing on his love of his people to others.  I don’t have an ounce of his talent in visual art, but we do share a love of using the struggle of the African race as catalyst for our work … and a desire to inspire and touch people’s lives through that work.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
DLW: Hopefully, I’m waiting to find out about two independent film projects happening in the fall, since I’m hoping to expand into more film and television work. You can reach me at davidwilson5235 at gmail dot com.

DAVID LAMONT WILSON (Charles White, Dying Soldier and Kuba Dancer) is thrilled to have the privilege of working on this exciting new work by Jacqueline Lawton.  Mr. Wilson was last seen performing Factory 449’s Washington premier of “The Saint Plays” and “All That Glitters” for Restoration Stage.   Favorite productions include roles in the critically acclaimed Charter Theatre production of “Am I Black Enough Yet?”, “The Oedipus Plays” at The Shakespeare Theatre, “Heaven” and “Big Love” for the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, “American Buffalo”, “Inns & Outs” and “Edmond” at Source Theatre; “Invisible Disability” and “The Boy Who Walked Backwards” at the Kennedy Center; and the European Tours of “The Cutting Edge” for Imagination Stage and “Julie” for Scena Theatre.  His resume also includes productions at Arena Stage, Olney Theatre, and the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, as well as a featured role on NBC's award winning Homicide: Life On the Streets and HBO's The Wire.  He is currently shooting the new independent film “Flesh To Flesh” by Lee Hayes, and can be seen later this season in “The Saint Plays” for Factory 449.  David would like to thank Daniel Wallace for bringing additional sunshine into his existence!

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
EDWARD CHRISTIAN: As a young man in Houston I was cast as Francis Flute in our high school version of  Midsummer Night's Dream. I was in ninth grade and the leads were seniors, so it was pretty cool that I was up there on stage with them. I still remember the curtain going up and my trepidation as I stood there in my Thisby dress with foam boobies and a silly wig. (The director assured me that in Shakespeare's day the women were played by men, but this was Texas in the 1960's after all.) We slayed, everyone was laughing including the senior football player playing Pyramus - in that moment it became clear to me that I could play comedy and that l wasn't the sort to break character.  For weeks after the teachers in my school imitated me in class - the sincerest form of flattery. I was hooked.

JL: Set in Hampton, Virginia in the 1940s, THE HAMPTON YEARS examines the impact of World War II on Jewish immigrants living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. This play investigates the various ways in which racism and bigotry negatively impact the arts, academia and military. Where do you feel we are in terms of race relations in the U.S.?
EC: I think the fact that Barack Obama and Tiger Woods are considered to be black says a lot about race attitudes in this country. Both had parents of different races. President Obama is no more black than white, Woods just as Asian as African. To me it speaks to a special place we reserve for "blackness" and it hearkens back to the days of quantifying percentages of African blood in order to apportion rights under law. It makes me think we have a long way to go before race is no longer a factor in this country. I have noticed a strain of right-wing thought that claims that racism no longer exists in the US, usually accompanied by more claims that end up, upon examination, to simply be racism in disguise. We hear scathing opinions about the effects of affirmative action that seem to imply that there is economic advantage in being African American, an idea that is belied by appalling rates of black unemployment in DC and elsewhere. Black comedians make interesting and appallingly hilarious points about the difference in police treatment of blacks and whites; as a white male I have little fear of an encounter with police officers, an attitude that I suspect is not shared by most black males in this country. This is a particular area of concern, policing of communities. Municipalities grant draconian police privileges in high crime areas, "stop and frisk" for example - and we see in DC that eight blacks are arrested for marijuana possession for every one white, resulting in further classification of minority communities as high crime areas, resulting in further erosion of constitutional rights. Racism permeates our attitudes on so many levels. Trayvon Martin's hoody says "scary black man" - Mark Zuckerberg's hoody says "brilliant entrepreneur." So where are we? I would say that we have made some progress, but we have a long way to go before we can harness the talents and brilliance of our entire population.

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also celebrates and honors such extraordinary artists as John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Viktor Lowenfeld and Charles White for their bold and courageous ability to overcome these challenges and create beautiful, powerful and lasting works of art. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today audiences?
EC: Art is an essential expression of culture. In Hampton Years we see African American artists coming to terms with their own artistic expression and with the art of some of their ancestors in Africa. Most Americans of European descent can trace something about their backgrounds in a more or less coherent track from quite a ways back. My family can be traced to England, Ireland and Germany, and I feel a kinship with my forbears and in terms of attitudes and culture I owe a great debt to my ancestry. Although I am somewhat of an American mutt, European cultural values exist within me and my family in many obvious ways, and when I see artwork of European masters I see myself and my family in it. The experience of slavery deprived the US African American population of a similarly coherent cultural tradition by ripping Africans out of their native lands and then, after transplanting them to this country, continually separating them from their families, ripping apart husbands and wives, mothers and children. I can only begin to imagine the difficulties in maintaining a cultural tradition that sustains under hundreds of years of such treatment. In the Hampton Years we see part of the struggle of African Americans reclaiming cultural heritage, and it is a useful reminder to European Americans what a great advantage we have in our own coherent cultural memory and traditions.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
EC: I play the Anonymous Art Critic and President Ralph Bridgman. The Anonymous  Art Critic insists that he won't lie about his reaction to the student artwork, and I agree with the need to avoid pulling punches in our artistic judgment, but he is also completely beholden to his own expectations about what African American artists can be or should be expected to produce. He cannot see past his own racial prejudice. He also seems calcified in his opinion of what constitutes the parameters of legitimate art; I think this is a potential trap for anyone invested in an artistic tradition no matter what the discipline. President Bridgman, the last white president of Hampton Institute, has less overt racial prejudice and by the standards of his time might be considered racially liberal, but he subscribes to the "world won't accept them" school of thought like the liberal lion father in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner who objects to his daughter's marriage to a black doctor on the grounds that they will never make it because the world won't let them succeed. I'm old enough to  remember this as a common point of view among southern liberals in the 1960's, along with the fear that mixed race children will not be accepted by anyone; these fears have proven to be misguided. The problem is that Bridgman, and even his predecessor McLean ended up accepting lesser outcomes. The other thing about Bridgman is that he cannot see the forest for the trees. He is so trapped by the details of the monthly or yearly budget or the institute's reputation that he loses sight of the overall mission of Hampton. I think we are all subject to such traps.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
EC: In September I will be playing Shipkov in Forum Theatre's production of Agnes Under the Big Top by  Aditi Brennan Kapil, directed by Michael Dove. Shipkov is a Bulgarian with a green card, a former ringmaster in a Bulgarian circus who is now working as a subway operator. Any of my career happenings can be followed at www.edwardchristian.com

EDWARD CHRISTIAN (President Bridgman and Anonymous Art Critic) recently appeared in the Folger Theatre's The Taming of the Shrew. Other regional credits include Forum Theatre: The Language Archive. He's also performed extensively with Perseverance Theatre: This Wonderful Life, Doubt, How I Learned To Drive, Hamlet, The Tempest, Macbeth, The Laramie Project, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hedda Gabler, The Cherry Orchard, The People’s Temple, Equus, The Crucible, The Waiting Room, The Rocky Horror Show, Blithe Spirit,  and As You Like It. Upcoming productions include: Henry V at Folger Theatre and The Hampton Years at Theater J.  www.edwardchristian.com

It is a wondrous gift to work with artists who you not only admire, respect and esteem but who you also love and trust. Throughout the new play development and rehearsal process of THE HAMPTON YEARS, I had the rare pleasure of working with two such extraordinary artists: director Shirley Serotsky and dramaturg Otis Ramsey-Zoe. What's lovely and inspiring about a situation like this is that the success is sweeter, the trenches aren't nearly so scary and when things get rough, you can go in deeply, honestly and safely. We have so much to celebrate including the grace granted to one another when beautiful challenges arose.

Now, we're moving into week four of the world premier production and I've spend the past few days reflecting on all that we've accomplished in just a year and a half. While I haven't seen the play since we opened, I plan to check out a few performances before we close (and this production is forever gone) on June 30th. It's been great fun to keep up with how everything has been going through production reports and quite lovely to read responses from friends and colleagues who have seen the play.

Really and truly, it's all been quite thrilling! I feel rather fortunate to have had this experience and opportunity. It's been amazing to have the support and faith of the  Theater J's staff and wonderful to work with the cast, design and production team. In truth, I don't think I'll ever be able to articulate my appreciation for all that this collaboration and this process has taught me.

Over the course of this week, I'm going to share interviews from The Hampton Years cast. But first, I have a treat for you. At first rehearsal,  Shirley shared her vision and hopes for the production. The words she spoke were so passionate, eloquent and sincere. I was quite moved and wanted to find a way to keep them forever. Generously, she's allowed me to share them here with all of you. Please enjoy...

Elizabeth Catlett said: 
"Combining realism and abstract art is very interesting to me. People are always trying to separate them out and say that you are either abstract or you are realistic; either you are abstract or you are figurative. And I don’t believe it. I think any good figurative artist relies strongly on abstractions."

I think this quote—and its recognition of duality--speaks to THE HAMPTON YEARS in many ways. Abstract or realistic. Black or white. American or refugee. Teacher or student. Visual or Haptic. Military or civilian. Artist or Educator.

The story of the play itself which is both realistic--based on very real histories; and abstracted – utilizing inspired fictions created from the mind and imagination of our playwright.

And there’s the challenge of each character to convince the world around them to allow a human to hold multiple truths: so that someone like Samella Lewis can be an artist, a writer, a visionary, an African-American, a woman, a teacher…all of those identities at once, and still all of those identities wholly and fully.

And the ideas we are pursuing with design—combining realism and theatrical gesture.

It is easy when we can decide that something is all one thing, or all another. But it opens us up to real creativity, to deep exploration--when we allow for something to hold many truths. Elizabeth Catlett was, unsurprisingly, speaking astutely of both art, and the world.

It is hard to believe that the world in which the Hampton Years takes place--with segregated schools, neighborhoods, busses, bathrooms, lunch counters—was one of such a recent past. And then sometimes, it’s not hard to believe at all.

Hampton Institute was founded as a place to develop “the head, heart, and hand” so it seems wholly appropriate to be telling this story here at the DCJCC, which aims to feed “the head, heart, and hand” (and of course, the stomach, but we have that in the play as well.) And now--to be honest--when I read that Hampton motto, my brain jumped to the Friday Night Lights mantra. I’ve recently started watching the show, and fully admit that I am moved each time they repeat their rallying cry of “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” And when I watch that show, I think of my friend Jacqueline Lawton, who was raised in Tennessee County, Texas—which it turns out, is only about two hours away from Hopkins County Texas, where the show takes place, and I wonder—is that like where Jackie grew up? This also speaks of duality—as I think of me and Jackie growing up almost as far North and as far South as you can be in this country, and now having the opportunity to work together to tell this remarkable story of dual histories, dual backgrounds, unified by the desire to create art and tell stories. It feels very apt, and it’s an honor and a delight.

But that’s all fodder for another play, and this is all to say—I am pleased to enter this rehearsal process with head, heart and hand--full AND clear, and to do so with all of you!

SHIRLEY SEROTSKY is the Director of Literary and Public Programs at Theater J, where she directed the 2010 production of Mikveh, the 2009 production of The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall (which received a 2009 Helen Hayes Nomination for Best New Play), and the 2011 production of The History of Invulnerability. She began her theater education as a performance major in the musical theater program at the University of Michigan, but soon detoured into directing which she studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduation she moved to New York, where she worked at the Women’s Project and Productions; interned for the Cherry Lane Theater; and was employed as an editorial assistant for a Jewish organization. In August 2001 she moved to Washington, DC to fulfill a nine-month Kenan Fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. There she worked as an assistant director and dramaturg on several productions. Since 2002 she has worked as a freelance director and dramaturg in the Washington, DC area and beyond, directing for the Source Festival, Theater Alliance, Catalyst Theater, Rorschach Theater, Catholic University, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Journeymen Theater, and on several out-of-town productions, including at the Humana Festival of New Plays at Actors Theater of Louisville. She has taught young people and adults at The Actor’s Center, the Musical Theater Center, and Theater Lab. She co-founded Bouncing Ball Theatrical Productions with Shawn Northrip (which aims to develop and produce new and innovative musical theater works). Training: BFA, North Carolina School of the Arts. Member of The 2002 Designer/Director Workshop with Ming Cho Lee and the 2003 Lincoln Center Director's Lab.

On Tuesday, June 18, The Hampton Years will be featured as part of Operation Understanding DC's Benefit Fundraiser: Blacks and Jews:  Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges. Enjoy an evening of film and theatrical presentations as well as discussions to learn about how refugee Jewish professors and their Black students forged profound connections from their shared, firsthand experience with brutal oppression and came together both to learn and to fight prejudice, a connection and a goal that OUDC continues to advance and support today.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
In the 1930s, Jewish intellectuals fled Nazi Germany for refuge in the United States, where they hoped to resume their teaching careers. At the hallowed universities of the East, they were met with anti-Semitism and anti-German hostility. Without a home and unable to further their scholarship, they finally found a welcoming community: the Black colleges and universities of the Jim Crow South. While they were welcomed and valued within these institutions, the refugee scholars experienced anti-Semitism and ostracism in the white communities in the South where they lived.

This program will include:
Introduction by Jim Loewen, an historian and sociologist who taught at historically Black Tougaloo College, the University of Vermont and now Catholic University. He is the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me.

Presentation by Stephen Fischler of Pacific Street Films who will share clips from the fascinating documentaryFrom Swastika to Jim Crow, highlighting the saga of the Jewish scholars through revealing interviews with their Black students.

Staged Reading of a scene from The Hampton Years, Jacqueline Lawton’s powerful new play that explores the relationship between art professor Viktor Lowenfeld and two of his students. Ms. Lawton, whose play will be staged at Theatre J in June, will introduce the reading.

These presentations will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Steve Fischler, Jacqueline Lawton and Jim Loewen with Q&A from the audience. Please enjoy these wonderful photos by Lloyd Wolf!

Make A Donation


Operation Understanding DC does not charge students for their participation in our year-long, cross-cultural education program.  Their experiences are made possible entirely by the generous support of individuals, foundations, corporations and congregations. Thank you for your investment in our young leaders.


Click here to make a donation.

Operation Understanding DC's mission is to build a generation of African American and Jewish community leaders who promote respect, understanding and cooperation while working to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.Our students are dedicated to stamping out racism and anti-Semitism wherever they encounter it. They build bridges between the Black and Jewish communities. But, they do not stop there. They use their skills, vision and passion to bring together people of all different ethnicities, races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds and sexual orientations. Our young leaders are changing the world, one person at a time.