On Monday, October 27th at 7:00pm, Rep Stage will present a “one-night-only” staged reading of my play Noms de Guerre. Under the direction of Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zoe and featuring Nora Achrati, James J. Johnson, Lolita Marie, Jon Hudson Odom, Natalie Graves Tucker, and Dawn Ursula. I'm honored and delighted to be working with such extraordinary theatre artists and look forward to sharing this play with the D.C. area community.

"We are delighted to host this reading of Noms de Guerre, Jacqueline E.  Lawton's poignant play as part of our commemoration of the 1964 Civil Rights Act." said Rep Stage's Co-Producing Artistic Directors Suzanne Beal and Joseph Ritsch. "We chose this contemporary piece because it speaks so eloquently to the heart breaking paradox of American Life. The politics of our country have changed dramatically in the past fifty years yet the ethical dilemmas and moral complexity facing these characters are universal and perennial." 

The reading of Noms de Guerre will take place on Monday October 27, 2014 at 7 PM in The Monteabaro Hall. It is free and open to the public. Click here for directions to Howard Community College.

Noms de Guerre is a haunting, lyrical and passionate story of friendship, love and politics. Mira is a rising star in the Republican Party, but her campaign against women’s reproductive rights puts her at odds with her best friend, Jude, an award-winning journalist. At home, Mira struggles to run a campaign for Governor and help her war hero husband, Douglas, adjust to civilian life. When Jude discovers that Douglas is linked to a massacre of Afghan civilians, Mira is thrown into a whirlwind of political intrigue and must decide whether to hold on to her career or save her husband. Noms de Guerre is a socio-political drama that addresses the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family.

JACQUELINE E. LAWTON was named one of 30 of the nation's leading black playwrights by Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute. Her plays include: Anna K; Blood-bound and Tongue-tied; Deep Belly Beautiful;The Devil’s Sweet Water; The Hampton Years; Ira Aldridge: the African Roscius; Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention; Love Brothers Serenade (2013 semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference), Mad Breed, Noms de Guerre. and Our Man Beverly Snow. Ms. Lawton received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener Fellow. She is a 2012 TCG Young Leaders of Color award recipient and a National New Play Network (NNPN) Playwright Alumna. A member of Arena Stage's Playwrights' Arena and the Dramatist Guild of America, Ms. Lawton currently resides in D.C.

Rep Stage, a professional regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College, is celebrating its 22nd season. The company is a member of the League of Washington Theatre, the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and Theatre Communications Group. Rep Stage is recognized by Theatre Washington as professional DC Metro area theatre company and is eligible to be nominated for the Helen Hayes Awards. Performances are made possible by Howard Arts Council, Howard County Government, and the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the Stage of Maryland and National Endowment of the Arts, as well as through generous individual contributions. Rep Stage is proud to be a partner of Howard County Tourism and promotion. Rep Stage’s Artistic Leadership is helmed by Co-Producing Artistic Directors Suzanne Beal and Joseph Ritsch.

Last night's reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS was such a wonderful experience. I learned so much from this collaboration with FIU Theatre, GableStage, and the Coral Gables Museum. It was a rainy day and I was worried that we wouldn't have much an audience. Well, much to my surprise and delight,I worried for nothing! We had a rather large, attentive, and enthusiastic audience. 

As you know, the play examines the relationship between Austrian Jewish professor Vikton Lowefeld and his students, John Biggers and Samella Lewis. What made this cast so special was that it was comprised of students and professors from FIU Theatre and New World School of the Arts. Owing to this, the conversations that we had about art and education was that much more relevant and charged. 

The post show discussion was also lively and engaging. A great many audiences members had attended the Beyond Swatiska and Jim Crow exhibit and were thrilled to see the themes come to life so intimately and urgently in a play. I opened the conversation by speaking about the process of new play development from Theater J's Locally Grown Festival to the world premiere production to the continued development taking place with Virginia Stage Company. In response to a question about the difficulty of writing this play, I shared that it most certainly had to do with the balancing the history and the drama. As interesting as history can be, it doesn't always make for compelling drama. With each draft, I'm working to activate the history, fuel the characters intention to increase the stakes. It's an exciting process to be sure! One student shared his appreciation for the play's close examination of individuals living in exile and another student found the conversation around race and identity in art to be deeply reflective her own experience. 

Throughout the weekend, I managed to do one rewrite on Sunday evening and furiously took notes throughout the reading. Now that I'm home, I'm going to incorporate these edits and send this new draft over to VSC. I'll certainly keep you posted as the play continues to develop but for now, please enjoy these photos from our rehearsal and reading.

FIU Theatre guides students through the discovery of their unique artistic visions and helps them develop the skills to make them a reality. Through a rigorous course of study in the classroom and participation in a diverse mix of productions that address a variety of global perspectives, periods, and styles, students have the opportunity to explore acting, design and construction, play analysis and dramaturgy, history, directing, playwriting and stage management.

We present a season of four productions each year that serve as a laboratory for our students to put their learning into practice. In addition, students will have the ability to write, direct and perform in productions including our Student Theatre Lab, New Plays Festival, and a summer Alternative Theatre Festival. Our summer Alternative Theatre Festival includes a development project of a new work by an established playwright, a faculty directed piece, one student directed piece, and may include Alumni showcase and reunion productions.

The mission of GableStage is to provide the South Florida community with classical, contemporary and new theatrical productions of artistic excellence. We challenge our multicultural audience with innovative productions that entertain as well as confront today's issues and ideas. By emphasizing nontraditional casting and employing the best of our local creative force, GableStage endeavors to meet the needs of our diverse community. GableStage is committed to the enrichment of the local actor, director, designer and technician by providing the opportunity to achieve artistic acclaim in this region. GableStage believes the future of theatre can be assured only by the development of young audiences. Therefore, our in-house mainstage and in-school touring Educational Programs are major components of our theatre. Furthermore, GableStage welcomes the opportunity to support as many worthy causes as possible through our theatrical production benefits and making the theatre available for use to other cultural and community groups.

In preparation for FIU Theatre's reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS at GableStage as part of the Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum, I connected with actress Makeba Pace, who will be portraying painter, sculptor, and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett, about her career in the theatre and the relevant themes of the play. Click here to learn more about the reading and please enjoy this wonderful interview.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
MAKEBA PACE: When I was working on my Bachelors the dean at the present time saw me working on something with the African-American Student Union. She suggested I talk to the Theatre Department. I never looked back.

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. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?
MP: It is a reminder of war, culture, art and discrimination, and how it hasn’t changed. There is a want for change but, we as a nation is treading slowly. 

JL: THE HAMPTON YEAR also 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.?
MP: Presently there a lot of events that are thrown in our faces as a nation; women’s rights, the Ebola epidemic in Africa and the racism that occurs every day that happens in the U.S. The list goes on. It continues to be misplaced or misunderstood. As a nation, I feel as though we are taking two steps forward and four steps backward.  

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system? 
MP: My character is Elizabeth. I really like her passion and drive. She believes in what she is doing, loves her students and continued to stay realistic of the times and the truth of the world during the 1940’s. I believe our common belief is to do what you love. No matter who sees it, you did it. It is yours and no one can take that away from you.

JL: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking about after experiencing this play?
MP: “To thine own self be true”. I liked the relationships. Viktor always wanted John to paint his truth his vision. Initially that is what empowered John. In addition, Samella suggests to John you can always find another way to do something. Be true to yourself.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
MP: In December I will be working on Sunset Baby at The Andrews Living Arts. You can follow me on Facebook.

In preparation for FIU Theatre's reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS at GableStage as part of the Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum, I connected with actress Madeleine Escarne, who will be portraying artist, author, and historian Samella Lewis, about her career in the theatre and the relevant themes of the play. Click here to learn more about the reading and please enjoy this wonderful interview.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
MADELEINE ESCARNE:  I knew that I had always wanted to be some sort of performer since the age of nine.  As a kid, I was an extreme extrovert and always wanted to put on a show for people in the prettiest, and most frilly dress I could find.  As I grew older, I became more and more introverted to the point where I could not conceive of being in front of people, but the love it was still brewing inside. It was not until after I had graduated from college and had been working in a corporate office for a couple of years, where I sat at my desk and pondered the meaning of my life.  Nothing made sense anymore if I continued to deny this creative and artistic side of me.  Later, I saw an announcement in the paper for an audition at a local community theatre, and I said to myself, “it’s now or never.” The play was To Kill a Mockingbird  and I was cast in the part of Helen.  When I stepped foot on the stage, I knew it was my home.

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. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?
ME: Wow, so many of the statements that the characters make are as relevant then as they are now.  Samella’s character states “…folks have had guns pulled on them and killed for doing less…” in reference to John’s character having issues with the printer because they did not service ‘negroes’ and I cant help but think of the unrest that has been so prevalent in the news as of late.  This play is relevant today, and especially to me being African American, on the importance of empathy from one oppressed culture to another.  Elizabeth’s and Samella’s character go back and forth in the comparison of the Jewish culture (and their oppression) to that of African Americans and segregation in the play and Samella’s words (and understanding) ring truer even now.  

JL: THE HAMPTON YEARS also 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.?
ME: There is so much I could say here. Growing up as an 80’s baby, I’ve seen things propel forward exponentially in the right direction but, in my opinion, has nowadays gone in reverse ever so rapidly.  I remember turning on the television and watching shows like “The Famous Jett Jackson” and seeing the lead played by an un-stereotypical African American male and address issues such as bigotry and racism.  I grew up watching shows such as “A Different World” and seeing issues tackled such as the L.A. Riots and divestment from South African companies that practiced Apartheid.  Movies by Spike Lee and John Singleton challenged my young mind to burst from the small box that American culture was determined to hold me in.  Two plus decades later, and most of what I see now is fluff.  TV and movies have become so homogenous to the point where productions companies have even claimed that ‘people’ are not interested in the African American plight unless their perspective is told from that of a slave or a maid. Just these past few years (the twenty-first century mind you), I’ve been called a nigger, I’ve been followed in stores, I’ve been asked on multiple occasions do I work at the very same store that I am a patron of.  I have been one of a hand-full of people (if not the only) who look like me in any organization (or class) that I’m apart of.  The list can go on and on for pages and pages and no matter what anyone tries to tell me, racism in these ‘united’ states of America is alive and well and perpetuated even more so through the arts and especially through the media.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
ME: I play the character of Samella Sanders Lewis.  I have three older brothers and so I’ve had my share of the bias that always happens in the sibling dynamic. I could certainly relate to the scene where Samella finds the letter in Viktor’s office about John having his work displayed at the MOMA and her not even being considered even though her work was just as worthy.  I know the experience of having that sinking feeling of possibly being passed over, or not recognized for something because not only am I ‘black’ but I’m a woman as well.  Mainly, I can attest to Samella’s passion of making it evident that all she has attained, she has worked extremely hard for and that it was not simply handed to her.

JL: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking about after experiencing this play?
ME: Consideration; a moment of pause to even want to try to walk a mile in someone else’s shoe.  I think it is hard to understand where a person is coming from, the deep seeded issues and beliefs that one carries based on factors that are beyond their control, until a person takes a moment of pause for reflection to want to understand what their experience could have possibly been like.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
ME: Ah, I’m not quite sure.  I am currently working on completing my BFA from Florida International University.  I just ended a run with FIU in our production of An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde.  I played the character of Lady Marby.  We have auditions for the spring semester coming up and so I’m hopeful about that. Other than that (and any other opportunities that may come up in the interim) you can follow me on facebook @actorMEscarne. Thank you very much for this opportunity! 

Tomorrow, I leave for Miami. It'll be a my first time in Florida and I'm making the most of my time while I'm there. On Sunday, in addition to attending rehearsals at FIU Theatre and taking part in the From Swastika and Jim Crow: Lessons and Legacies panel discussion at the Coral Gables Museum, I'll be meeting with Katie Christie Bereng, TCG Young Leader of Color and founder of Voices United, to learn more about the intergenerational work that she and her organization are doing around Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in the South Florida theatre community. More on all of that soon. For now, here's more information about the play and this extraordinary, passionate, and talented company of artists!

About the Play
The Hampton Years explores the relationship between art professor Viktor Lowenfeld and his students, John Biggers and Samella Lewis. Lowenfeld joined the Hampton Institute in Virginia in 1939 as assistant professor of Industrial Arts and studio art teacher. Burgeoning artist John Biggers, who went on to become an internationally acclaimed painter, sculptor, teacher and philosopher, was his student. As was Samella Lewis, artist, printmaker and educator, with whom Lowenfeld had a contentious, but respectful relationship. The Hampton Years examines the impact of World War II on Jewish refugees living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south.

Presented by Florida International University's Center for Humanities in an Urban Environment in collaboration with FIU's Department of Theatre and GableStage, a staged reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS will take place on Monday, October 20th at 7:00pm as part of the Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow exhibit.  Click here to learn more.

Jacqueline E. Lawton was named one of 30 of the nation's leading black playwrights by Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute. Her plays include: Anna K; Blood-bound and Tongue-tied; Deep Belly Beautiful;The Devil’s Sweet Water; The Hampton Years; Ira Aldridge: the African Roscius; Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention; Love Brothers Serenade (2013 semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference); Mad Breed; Noms de Guerre; and Our Man Beverly Snow. Ms. Lawton received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener Fellow. She is a 2012 TCG Young Leaders of Color award recipient, National New Play Network (NNPN) Playwright Alum, and member of Arena Stage's Playwrights' Arena. She is also a proud member of the Dramatist Guild of America.

Phillip M. Church (Director) holds an M.F.A. from the University of California at Irvine and a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has professional and extensive experience in acting, directing, and stage management in England, South Africa, and America. He is presently working on establishing an exchange program in performance between the FIU Department of Theatre and the Southampton Institute and Southampton University in England, a Shakespearean series for schools, in partnership with WLRN and is developing a new film program at FIU. He is the Artistic Director and President of WhatIfWorks an interative theatre, film and music company that aims to give recent graduates professional experiences in their chosen fields. He currently serves as the Chair of External and Community Engagement.

Aaron H. Alpern (Viktor  Lowenfeld), grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  He has worked as a professional actor throughout the Midwest including, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh, performing at  First Folio, Chicago Shakespeare, Writers Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Next Act, Northern Stage, and Quantum Theatre.   Recently, he played Michael in Tipping Point’s production of Fiction. Other credits include, George –Same Time Next Year at Two Muses Theatre, Mr. Dark – Something Wicked This Way Comes at Meadowbrook, Sharkey – The Seafarer at Performance Network, Frederick - Enchanted April at Meadowbrook, Cooper – Denial at the J.E.T., and Prospero and Cymbeline, as the Equity Guest Artist for Hillsdale College and the Grand Valley Shakespeare festival respectively. Aaron has appeared in several industrial films as well as an independent feature film and on TV, Aaron was seen in various commercials, the Magic Door Children’s Theatre and The Colbert Report. Aaron has taught and coached in California, Illinois and Michigan. He received his M.F.A. in Acting from The California Institute for the Arts and his Bachelors from the University of Michigan.

Rebecca Covey (Margaret Lowenfeld) is an Equity actor and a designated Linklater Voice teacher.  She earned her BFA in Theatre and BA in French from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her MFA from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Wisconsin.  In Chicago, she taught at the Theatre School at DePaul University, Northern Illinois University, and Columbia College.  Favorite Chicago acting credits include Simone de Beauvoir in Nelson and Simone (Live Bait Theatre), Hermione in The Winters Tale, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Lady MacBeth in MacBeth, Hester in The Scarlet Letter and Anka in Hunting Cockroaches  (Footsteps Theatre), Sarah in The Lover and Jane inBenefactors  (Writers Theatre Chicago), Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Devil’s Disciple, and Back to Methusela (Shaw Chicago).  Regional credits include Sarah in The Substance of Fire and Viola in Twelfth Night (The Northern Stage – Milwaukee), All My Sons (New American Theatre), Quake  and ID (Quantum Theatre – Pittsburgh), Mothers Day (Boarshead Theatre), Lady MacBeth in MacBeth (Theatre at the Center), Relatively Speaking (Next Act Theatre Milwaukee), Abigail in Denial (Jewish Ensemble Theatre), Something Wicked This Way Comes(Meadowbrook Theatre) and  Eleemosynary (Williamston Theatre).  Rebecca is interested in International Theatre and has performed in Scotland, Australia and France. Additional interests include: the intersection of gender, culture and voice; accents and dialects; and  heightened language including Shakespeare, Moliere and Shaw.

O'Neil Delapenha (John Biggers) is a South Florida native and professional actor. He holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree from New World School of the Arts. He is currently playing the role of Bobby Franklin in Sunshine Theatre Company's production of "Run for Your Wife", now touring the South Florida area. He is also involved in several shows with Fantasy Theatre Factory, for which he is the production manager. He is happy to be apart of this process and is thankful for the opportunity.  

Wayne E. Robinson, Jr. (Dr. Malcolm McLean) is a graduate of Phillips Academy (Andover), Northwestern University, The National Theatre Conservatory and American Conservatory Theatre (STC). After many years as an actor and director, he joined the Theatre faculty at FIU where he is currently Associate Professor. His theatre career, which includes acting and directing in over 60 productions, has taken him to Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and now Miami. At FIU, he has directed Eleemosynary, The Rose Tattoo, All in the Timing, Talking With…, Sylvia, 5th of July, The House of Blue Leaves, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Hot L Baltimore, As You Like It, Balm in Gilead, Anna in the Tropics, Electricidad,Pericles and the Musicals Company, Gypsy, Hair, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. In South Florida, professional projects include directingLine, All in the Timing, and Frag, as well as Acting in Betrayal, Talley’s Folly, King Lear, Never the Sinner, The House of Seven Gables, Electra,Wit, The Weir, Hamlet, Othello, and Twelfth Night.

On Monday, October 20th at 7:00pm, Florida International University's Center for Humanities in an Urban Environment in collaboration with FIU's Department of Theatre and GableStage will present a reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS as part of the Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow exhibit. 

The Hampton Years examines the impact of World War II on Jewish refugees living in the United States and their role in shaping the lives and careers of African American students in the segregated south. It explores the relationship between Austrian painter and sculptor Viktor Lowefeld and his students, John Biggers and Samella Lewis, both of whom go on to become a prominent twentieth-century arts, scholars and educators. Directed by Phillip M. Church the staged reading will feature Aaron Alpern, Rebecca Covey, O’Neil Delapenha, Madeleine Escarne, Makeba Henry, and Wayne Robinson. Click here to learn more.

This is the second time that THE HAMPTON YEARS had been programmed as part of the Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow exhibit. The first was back in February of 2013, when Theatre Ariel presented it as part of their salon series and at the National Museum of Jewish History. Since that time, the play has received a world premiere production at Theater J and has gone through extensive revisions in development at Virginia Stage Company. This will be my first time hearing the new draft and I can hardly wait to experience with a new community of artists, scholars, historians, and audience members. 

The Coral Gables Museum in collaboration with Florida International University's Center for Humanities in an Urban Environment and the Department of English, presents a traveling exhibit titled “Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges,” created by the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. On Saturday, I'm heading to Miami to take part in a panel discussion and staged reading of THE HAMPTON YEARS. Here''s more information about the exhibit and panel discussion:

"Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow tells the story of Jewish academics from Germany and Austria who were dismissed from their teaching positions in the 1930s. After fleeing to America, some refugee scholars found positions at historically black colleges and universities in the Jim Crow South. The exhibition explores what it meant to the students to have these new staff as part of their community, how the students were affected by their presence, and what life was like for white, European Jews teaching at black colleges and universities. The exhibit looks at the empathy between two minority groups with a history of persecution, some of whom came together in search of freedom and opportunity, and shared the early years of struggle in the Civil Rights movement." Click here to learn more about the exhibit.

“This exhibit explores the deep relationships that formed between two disenfranchised groups that each experienced racism firsthand — Jews fleeing Nazi Europe and African-Americans in the South living during Jim Crow,” said Christine Rupp, executive director of the Coral Gables Museum. “The exhibit and its surrounding activities and programs will give the South Florida community an opportunity to learn about these remarkable teachers and students and how they reacted to the discrimination they faced.”

FIU has created a series of panels, screenings, lectures, and other events, including a panel discussion on Sunday, October 19 from 4:00pm - 6:00pm, titled From Swastika to Jim Crow: Lessons and Legacies at the Coral Gables Museum. Moderated by Dr. Michael P. Gillespie (Professor of English and Director of the Center for Humanitities in An Urban Environment), this panel will examine the evolution in American thinking about race based on the experiences highlighted in the exhibit. Panelists include Dr. Alan Berger(Raddock Chair of Holocaust Studies, Florida Atlantic University), Dr. Guy Stern (Director, Institute of Altruism. Holocaust Museum in Detroit and Provost (emeritus) Wayne State University), Ms. Jaqueline E. Lawton (Playwright, author of Hampton Years), and Dr. Tometro Hopkins (Director of the Linguistics Program, Florida International University). This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Women's and Gender Studies. Click here or see the flyer below to learn more:.