ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN: Links and Articles

Each season at Signature Theatre Company, the members of the Artistic staff contextualize the season plays for the creative team and actors. With materials from the personal collection of the season playwright and the New York Public Library, among other archival resources, we compile comprehensive facts and figures about events and ways of life specific to the plays. For example, we create a glossary of references for use by directors and actors, as well as supplement the glossary with additional suggested reading.

For Charles Fuller’s Zooman and the Sign – which is set in Philadelphia in 1979 but could take place at any time and in any city – much of the research has been drawn from newspaper and magazine articles spanning the 1970s through today about teenage gang violence and the communities it impacts. Also included is information on the music of the time that influenced our production. Please find below a sampling of the research compiled that we hope will enrich your theatre-going experience.

The Return of the Gang
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,878590-1,00.html

A View from the Inside
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/violence/

Hope Seen for Curbing Youth Violence
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE4D8133CF932A2575BC0A965958260

A Little Girl Shot, and a Crowd That Didn’t See
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/nyregion/09taj.html?ex=1185768000&en=1df6bd50153b38c7&ei=5070

A Brief History of Jazz
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=19:T691

Old School Rap
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=19:T2167

For an exclusive interview with Playeright-in-Residence Charles Fuller and information on the original NEC production of Zooman and the Sign, go to http://www.signaturetheatre.org/newsletter.htm and check out the online version of Signature Edition, the official newsletter of Signature Theatre Company. Or pick up a copy when you’re at the theatre!

ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN: First Rehearsal Photos

It's hard to believe, but it's already time for the first rehearsal of Signature Theatre Company's final show of the 2008-09 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company. The cast and crew of Zooman and the Sign, which begins performances March 3, 2009, along with Signature's staff, met and greeted each other before the cast began a powerful read-thru of Charles Fuller's classic drama. Check out the photos below!

Director Stephen McKinley Henderson

Signature's Artistic Director James Houghton and Amari Cheatom ("Zooman")

NEC Founder Douglas Turner Ward and Signature's Associate Artist Ruben Santiago-Hudson (who also directed The First Breeze of Summer earlier this season)

Sound designer Robert Kaplowitz

Costume designer Katherine Roth

Set designer Shaun Motley

Zooman and the Sign's set

Evan Parke ("Reuben Tate")

Rosalyn Coleman ("Rachel Tate")

Lynda Gravatt ("Ash Boswell")

Peter Jay Fernandez ("Donald Jackson")

Jamal Mallory-McCree ("Victor Tate") and Rosalyn Coleman ("Rachel Tate")

Ron Canada ("Emmett Tate")

Amari Cheatom ("Zooman")

W Tre Davis ("Russell Adams") and Portia ("Grace Georges")

All photos by Gregory Costanzo

Behind the Scenes: DAY OF ABSENCE Staged Reading

On February 1-2, 2009 Signature Theatre Company presented a staged reading of Douglas Turner Ward's Day of Absence, the landmark play that inspired the founding of the Negro Ensemble Company. Ward directed a cast of 17 for the reading, among them several original cast members. The cast included Peggy Alston, Norman Bush, Yaya DaCosta, Keith David, Brandon Dirden, Jason Dirden, Arthur French, January LaVoy, William Jay Marshall, Kathryn Meisle, Erica Peeples, Terrence Riggins, Heather Alicia Simms, Joyce Sylvester, Raphael Nash Thompson and Allie Woods.

The show, performed in white face, featured make-up design by Erin Kennedy Lunsford. Jessica Pabst provided the costumes, with Michael Jarrett on lights and Graham Johnson on sound.

Check out these pictures of the cast getting ready backstage before the staged reading.

Arthur French

Arthur French

Keith David with make-up designer Erin Kennedy Lunsford

Brandon Dirden

Jason Dirden

Raphael Nash Thompson

Heather Alicia Simms

Yaya DaCosta

Joyce Sylvester


Peggy Alston

January LaVoy

Norman Bush

All photos by Gregory Costanzo

Backstage with the Cast and Crew of HOME

We spent some time backstage with the cast and crew of Home before a recent performance -- here's what we saw!

Kevin T. Carroll (Cephus Miles) shaves before the show...

...with a straight razor!

January LaVoy (Woman 1/Pattie May Wells) gets her hair just right

Tracey Bonner (Woman 2) puts on the finishing touches

Assistant Stage Manager Kara Aghabekian is focused on the task at hand

Deck carpenter Derek Loehr and Stage Manager Chandra LaViolette hang out before it's time to do their thing

The cast warms up their voices before the show -- break a leg everyone!

All photos by Gregory Costanzo

The Cast of HOME Talks Back to the Students

On November 20, a group of student playwrights came to see Home, and the cast stuck around after the show to participate in a talkback with the aspiring artists, moderated by Signature's Associate Artistic Director Beth Whitaker. Check out the photos below of Tracey Bonner, Kevin T. Carroll, January LaVoy.

All photos by Gregory Costanzo

Coming HOME: Photos From First Rehearsal

The first rehearsal for Home, the second show of our 2008/09 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company season, was last week, and we were there to take photos!

Stage Manager Chandra LaViolette, Director Ron OJ Parson and Assistant Director Lileana Blain-Cruz discuss what topics to go over before the reading begins

Old friends January LaVoy (Woman 1) and Kevin T. Carroll (Cephus Miles) embrace

The cast and Ron OJ Parson check out the plans for the set

The set, as imagined by designer Shaun Motley

Ron OJ Parson and his assistant Lileana Blain-Cruz share a laugh

Signature Artistic Director James Houghton welcomes back Signature alum January LaVoy

Tracey Bonner (Woman 2) and Kevin T. Carroll already hard at work!

Ron OJ Parson talks to the cast and crew about his vision for Home

Home playwrightSamm-Art Williams and NEC founder Douglas Turner Ward in deep discussion

Douglas Turner Ward listening to the first read-thru

Kevin T. Carroll getting into his role of Cephus Miles

Tracey Bonner during the read-thru

January LaVoy flashes a smile at one of her co-stars