Go Backstage With the Cast of THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER

Signature Theatre photographer Gregory Costanzo snuck backstage at a recent performance of The First Breeze of Summer to take some photos of the cast getting ready for the show...and here they are!

Sandra Daley

Yaya DaCosta

Keith Randolph Smith

Leslie Uggams

Marva Hicks

Quincy Dunn-Baker

Quincy Dunn-Baker and Gilbert Owuor

Brandon Dirden

Brenda Pressley

Crystal Anne Dickinson

Harvy Blanks

Photo Feature: "Signature After Hours"

On September 12th, Signature Theatre Company launched "Signature After Hours," a post-show cocktail party (hosted by 10 Cane Rum) that allowed the audience to mingle with the cast and crew of The First Breeze of Summer. The event was a big success -- most of the audience stuck around to enjoy delicious Passion Fruit Daquiris and discuss the show with their fellow theatregoers. Check out the photos below, and make sure to attend our next "Signature After Hours" event, scheduled for December 12th following Home.

10 Cane Rum provided the delicious Passion Fruit Daquiris

The audience enjoys the drinks and the company

Cast members John Jelks and Brandon Dirden mingle with the audience

Yaya DaCosta chats about the show...and the drinks!

Leslie Uggams shares a laugh with cast member Quincy Dunn-Baker

Video Montage of THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER

In the Rehearsal Room: Inspiring the Cast of THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER

"Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change -
it can not only move us, it makes us move."
-- Ossie Davis

At the start of each day of work, the cast and team would assemble, and each person in the room would read a quotation aloud to prepare for the task ahead. These words came from prominent black leaders, artists, scientists, and thinkers and were used to inspire the team throughout the rehearsal process. Cast members were encouraged to bring in quotations found on their own that inspired them, which were then added to the collection.

The following quotations represent a selection of those adorning the rehearsal space chosen by The First Breeze of Summer director, Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."
-- Muhammad Ali

"Prayer begins where human capacity ends."
-- Marian Anderson

"If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die."
-- Maya Angelou

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life."
-- Arthur Ashe

"Sometimes I would almost rather have people take away years of my life than take away a moment."
-- Pearl Bailey

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."
-- James Baldwin

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom."
-- George Washington Carver

"I find, in being black, a thing of beauty: a joy; a strength; a secret cup of gladness."
-- Ossie Davis

"It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake."
-- Frederick Douglass

"As you live, believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long."
-- W. E. B. DuBois

"I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. . . . I do not weep at the world -- I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife."
-- Zora Neale Hurston

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."
-- Jackie Robinson

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."
-- Booker T. Washington

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."
-- Malcolm X

Podcast Kickoff: A Chat with First Breeze of Summer Cast Members Jason Dirden, Brandon Dirden and Crystal Anne Dickinson

We're thrilled to present the Signature Podcast Series, which will bring you the latest news and insights into our current historic Negro Ensemble Company Season.

The inaugural podcast features The First Breeze of Summer cast members Jason Dirden (Lou Edwards), Brandon Dirden (Nate Edwards), and Crystal Anne Dickinson (Hope), who, in addition to portraying members of the family in the show, are also related in real life! Jason and Brandon are brothers from Houston, Texas who grew up doing theatre together; Brandon then met his future wife Crystal while attending graduate school in Illinois, and the three have been continuously working together since.

In this three-part interview Brandon and Jason discuss their childhood, Crystal and Brandon take us through their first time meeting, and all three actors talk about their rehearsal process.

Listen below to hear their stories:

Spirituality and Theatre: What I've Learned in My New York Theatre Debut

This blog entry was written by Crystal Anne Dickinson, who plays Hope in Signature Theatre's The First Breeze of Summer.

Spirituality is a tremendous aspect of Leslie Lee’s The First Breeze of Summer, and our director, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, made it a big part of our rehearsal process. Inspirational quotes and images dominated the walls of our rehearsal room and at the beginning and end of each rehearsal day everyone in the room was invited to gather in a circle to say a word of prayer, reflection, or thanksgiving. It is an experience I have never had in a rehearsal room, but one I would love to have again. In my opinion, art and religion rarely meet. Perhaps it has something to do with the theatre’s commitment to individuality and free thought, or the fact that many adopt the theatre as their religion. Nevertheless, here in our rehearsal room, these ideas seem to lovingly coexist.

The difference between some of the stage work I have done in the past and the work I am doing in my New York debut with First Breeze is the willingness of each and every individual to do whatever is asked of them, from the interns, production crew and designers, to the actors of whom I am a part. During this process, Ruben has asked us to “explore the meaning of what God is” and tell a story about “love, spirituality and family”. Thus, we are all met with the challenge to connect with something spiritual, and, as I said, and all were up for the task.

Today was our last day in the rehearsal space and on Tuesday we will all meet in the theatre for the first time. My hope is that all who come to see our work will have the privilege of feeling the “spirit” we created in the rehearsal room, because it is something that I will take with me when the curtains close.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson in Action!

As most theatregoers know, the director is a key player in constructing a successful production, leading all those involved towards a singular creative vision. At a recent rehearsal, The First Breeze of Summer director Ruben Santiago-Hudson illustrates this vision to the actors.



For exclusive photos of the cast and crew, click on the links below to see:

The First Rehearsal

A Family Portrait of the Cast

All Photos by Gregory Costanzo