Orange Light
By Howard L. Craft
Directed by Kathryn Hunter Williams
April 6th—10th, 2017
Orange Light tells the story of the September 3rd, 1991 fire at the Imperial Foods processing plant in Hamlet North Carolina.
Howard L. Craft (Playwright) is a father, husband, poet, playwright, and arts educator. He is the author of a book of poems, Across The Blue Chasm. His poetry also appears in Home is Where: An Anthology of African-American poets from the Carolinas edited by Kwame Dawes. His plays include: FREIGHT: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green, Nina Simone: What More Can I Say?, Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders, The Wise Ones, The House of George, Stealing Clouds, and a children’s musical entitled Indigo Blue. Craft’s 2010 play, Jade City Chronicles Vol 1, sparked Craft and WUNC host Frank Stasio to create the first African-American Super Hero Radio Serial entitled The Jade City Pharaoh. Craft teaches creative writing in colleges, public, private schools and to adults through the North Carolina Writers Network, Duke Center for Documentary Studies and various arts councils and organizations. An accomplished writer, Craft has received the N.C. Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship, a Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant, and is a two-time recipient of the N.C. Central University New Play Project, as well as numerous commissions from Universities and professional theater companies.
Kathryn Hunter Williams (Director) (B.F.A., UNC School of the Arts; M.F.A., UNC-Chapel Hill) is senior lecturer in the Department of Dramatic Art and Associate Director for Hidden Voices. As Associate Director of Hidden Voices, Kathryn co-created performances with undocumented immigrant youth, families escaping violence, military spouses, survivors of sexual assault, African-American communities facing gentrification, refugees, and the currently incarcerated. COUNT, Hidden Voices’ most recent production will be directed by Kathryn and will open the PRC2 season in August 2017.
Directing credits include To Buy the Sun; the Challenge of Pauli Murray, Orange Light, Radio Golf, Jitney, Nina Simone: What More Can I Say? Witness to an Execution (PRC2); Assistant Director of Three Sisters and Big River (PlayMakers Repertory Company). A longstanding member of PlayMakers Repertory Company, she recently performed the role of Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel. PRC plays include The Crucible, Trouble in Mind, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, A Raisin in the Sun, The Imaginary Invalid and The Parchman Hour. She has also worked with Living Stage, The Negro Ensemble Company, and New Dramatists.
Kaitlyn Ave’Lallemant (Producer) is thrilled to produce her second KTC show. She is a junior double major in Dramatic Arts and Environmental Sciences, as well as a Resident Advisor. So she sings show tunes and makes bulletin boards about recycling. She would like to thank her wonderful friends for their never ending support.
Ash Heffernan (Producer) is excited to produce her first show with KTC, after producing a staged reading of After Orlando earlier this year. She is a second year Dramatic Arts and Communications (Performance Studies) double major, with a minor in Social and Economic Justice. She would like to thank everyone involved in this production for their dedication and passion and all of her family, friends, and siblings for their endless support and love.
Benjamin Curns (Original Music) is a third year graduate student with UNC PATP/PlayMakers Repertory Company. He is an actor, director, and musician who has previously written music for use in productions at the American Shakespeare Center and for his band, Squintibus.
Maya Addai (Wilma Windbush) is a sophomore Business Administration and Communication Studies double major. She enjoys performing and listening to spoken word poetry, acting, and listening to music. This is her first KTC show and she is honored to be a part of such a dynamic project! She would like to thank her mother, family, friends, and KTC! She would like to personally thank Prof. Kathy Williams for being such a wonderful director, and Howard Craft for crafting such a powerful piece of art that gives the deceased a voice. God bless those affected from the Imperial Foods fire.
Kate Jones (Mary Swofford) is a Junior Dramatic Arts and Performance Studies double major. This is her third show with KTC and she is looking forward to producing with KTC next season. She will also be compiling a honors thesis performance during her senior year focused on mental illness. She would like to thank her family for their constant support, the Beehive for their companionship, the cast and crew for their hard work, and the ever-present cup of coffee in her hand.
Liz Kent (Anna Bellmont/Lawyer Brenda Meachum/Billy Ludlow/Ensemble) is a senior Voice and Drama double major. This is her third KTC show as an actor, and she also serves as a producer for the company. She is so grateful for the knowledge, passion, and vulnerability that KTC has fostered, and is excited to take what she has learned into the world when she graduates this spring. She would like to thank Dave Navalinsky, this wonderful cast and crew, and her dog Bailey for their love and support, and gives so much love to those who died in the Hamlet fire.
Graham Prevatte (Bob Buchanan) is a junior Media Production and German Studies double major. This is his third show with KTC and his first time playing a manager. He enjoys short walks on the beach and pineapple on pizza. Graham currently has no job lined up for the summer, so if you are in need of a semi-dedicated intern, he is your guy. He would like to thank his grandmother Mimi, his family, and Jack Kelly (Lawyer).
Cara Pugh (Quisha Davis) is a Junior Public Policy major and a double minor in Education and African American studies. She is thrilled to participate in her first KTC performance. Cara has been acting since she was nine years old when she starred as Annie in the musical Annie. She enjoys participating in student government, intramural basketball, teaching her students, and spending time with loved ones. She wants to thank her supportive family members, her friends and linesisters, as well as her boyfriend James.
Krí Schafer (Jenny Buckley) is a First Year Communications and Music Composition double major. This is her first KTC show, and she is so grateful to be a part of this phenomenal production. She has written and acted in plays throughout middle and high school, and was a member of her high school’s Advanced Acting Academy. She recently starred in the film Thomas, Margaret Thatcher and the Prostitute through Carolina Film Association. She would like to thank Howard Craft for writing this beautiful play, the OL cast and crew, and her parents for meeting her pursuit to become an actor with love and support.
Whitney Serauskas (Laverne Uppley) is a Senior double majoring in Exercise and Sport Science and Dramatic Arts with a minor in Medical Anthropology. This is her third KTC show but first time working in a chicken factory. She wants to thank Kathy for this opportunity, her family and friends. 2-6! Cole World!
Simon Wolf (Paul Gaffney, Bob Kagney Jr., J.P. Calhoun, T.K. Franklin: Attorney@Law, Ensemble) is a junior Linguistics and Dramatic Art double major. He is returning to KTC for his second performance after a two-year hiatus which he spent studying classical acting at the globe theatre and workshopping his forthcoming sequel to Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. He would like to thank Evelyn Mitchell, Paul Smith, and Tracy Bersley for being shining rays of light.
RC Eberhard (Sound Designer) is a second year Dramatic Art and Computer Science double major. This is his first show with KTC and he is thrilled to be apart of such a wonderful team. He is so grateful for everyone being so welcoming and great to work with. He would like to thank Anna Alex for mentoring him as a sound designer and his younger brother Christian for always supporting him in all his endeavors.
Whitney Edmonds (Costume Designer) is a senior majoring in Dramatic Art and minoring in Asian studies. This is her first year with KTC, and she has prior designed costumes for the fall production, Distracted.Whitney has also previously worked on shows with a few other theatre organizations. She is grateful to have worked in collaboration with all of the students/staff who contributed to the successes of Orange Light. Lastly, She would like to give special thanks to all of those supporting her theatrical endeavors.
Alex LaGrand (Dramaturg) is a junior majoring in English with minors in Dramaturgy and Medieval and Early Modern Studies. This is her third year with Kenan Theatre Company, after serving for two years as the company dramaturg and set designing three season shows. She also was just recently tapped as Argonaut #2089 for the Order of the Golden Fleece, UNC’s oldest and highest honor society. She would like to give a shout-out to everyone who has no idea what dramaturgy is, because she, too, is trying to figure it out.
Kim O’Neill (Stage Manager) is a junior double majoring in Dramatic Arts and Political Science. This is her third show with KTC and her first time stage managing for them. She would like to thank her family for always being supportive, and her work, for not yelling at her about all the time she took off for the show.
Paul Smith (Lighting Designer) is a Third year Drama and Geology double major. This is his third light design for KTC. He also stage managed KTC’s production of ROOMS earlier this semester. He is super pumped about life in general and would like to thank Dominic Abbenante and Emily MacKillop for making this lighting possible (and letting him get sleep during this process). Also thanks to Mo-Town staff, parents, and Emily Hagstrom for continued support throughout everything. It’s lit.
Zavier A.L. Taylor (Video & Projection Design) Is a 2nd year Dramatic Art & Computer Science dual major. This is his fourth consecutive show with KTC, but his first venture into backstage production. He would like to thank everyone involved with production for their contributions to this important new work (especially Dom), and his mother for being the best. His services are available for birthday’s, weddings, and political protests.
