Significant Work #4: The African Company Presents: Richard III

Context & Significance

Carlyle Brown’s The African Company Presents Richard III dramatizes the efforts of one of America’s first Black thespian troupes to stage Shakespeare’s Richard III in 1821, despite opposition from New York’s theater establishment. The play delves into themes of artistic integrity and perseverance, offering a historically rich meditation on who has the right to tell certain stories—and at what cost.

Being invited to helm this work proved to be the creative inflection point I didn’t know I needed. A year and a half into a global pandemic, with theaters hobbled by shutdowns, industry departures, and supply chain disruptions, many of us questioned our ability to keep producing theater and whether audiences would return, given potential health risks. The Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF), celebrated for its inventive and accessible productions of Shakespeare’s works, had been my artistic home for many years. Though no longer part of its acting company, I was thrilled to return to direct a work that spoke directly to the moment.

While GRSF, located in Winona, MN, had always prioritized deep community engagement, its artistic leadership was in the midst of reevaluating production practices to ensure greater equity and representation. Working on Brown’s play during this period allowed us to engage deeply with questions of legitimacy, artistic resistance, and the ongoing erasure of Black artists from canonical spaces. The story’s central conflict—whether these “amateurs” had the right to perform Shakespeare—mirrored contemporary debates about representation and ownership of classical texts. Our production sought to amplify these tensions, highlighting the enduring fight for creative autonomy. It also provided an opportunity to reassess my role as a creative leader and adapt my approach to facilitating collaborations across disciplines.

In some ways, this production represents a culmination of my work as an actor, director, and researcher, blending historical inquiry with contemporary storytelling. The African Company Presents Richard III is not just about the past—it addresses ongoing struggles for artistic legitimacy and the power of reclaiming performance spaces. As a director, I wished to spotlight this lineage, drawing parallels between the African Grove Theater’s defiant artistry and today’s battles for equity and representation in theater.

My Role & Artistic Contribution

As a director committed to moving beyond “museum piece” theater, I approached The African Company Presents Richard III as an urgent call to action and a historical reclamation. My desire to transform what could easily play as a passive period piece into a visceral act of resistance guided my concept. Produced in the aftermath of protests and civil unrest, I was determined to shepherd the process in alignment with the core values I helped develop with my theater company, FLUX Theatre Ensemble, prioritizing an Aesthetic of Liberation, Collective Care, Consent & Agency, Rigor & Release, and most importantly, Joy. Guided by these principles, our whole process was holistic, ensemble-driven, and deeply collaborative.

I meticulously oversaw every design element, from fabric and material choices to the stylized violence and movement. Original compositions shaped the production’s sonic landscape, while carefully curated gestures interrogated from African and Western theatrical traditions. The rehearsal process was trauma-informed and consent-based, supported by GRSF through the inclusion of intimacy and violence coordinators, as well as an anti-racism liaison. Together, the actors and I developed a shared vocabulary that allowed them to seamlessly navigate the grounded realism of backstage drama and the heightened grandeur of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Reception & Impact

The production was widely praised for its bold staging and the emotional depth of the performances. It sparked vital conversations about who has the right to claim Shakespeare and how Black artists continue to navigate systemic barriers in the industry. Audiences responded strongly to the production’s interrogation of access, gatekeeping, and artistic autonomy, leading to deep engagement with community partners during post-show discussions.

As noted in the Post Bulletin, my staging “brilliantly underscored the play’s central tension between ownership and exclusion, drawing stark parallels between the African Company’s struggle and ongoing battles for representation in the theater industry today.”

Similarly, the MinnPost review highlighted how the play “not only offers representation as a modern playwright, but also highlights work that ‘the canon’ has missed, and even lost,” underscoring the play’s resonance within larger conversations about whose stories are preserved and celebrated.

Why This Work is Significant in My Portfolio

Directing The African Company Presents Richard III solidified my commitment to making theater that challenges historical narratives and advocates for greater representation. This production exemplifies my dedication to artmaking that is not only reflective but transformative, fostering dialogue and inspiring change within the theatre community and beyond