JEROME A. PARKER
CREATOR

Jerome A. Parker is an award-winning, theater-maker/screenwriter/librettist from NYC whose original works champion black and brown heroes confronted and jettisoned by their histories. Highlighted works for the stage and screen include BLISS: A SOLDIER'S TALE (Public Theater); LIKE JOHNNY IN THE DARK (Dramatist Guild); and KAYA: TASTE OF PARADISE (New York Film Academy) with music and lyrics by award-winning composer, Anna K. Jacobs. As a collaborative librettist with Experiments in Opera NY, EVERYTHING FOR DAWN will premiere in 2021. He's an alumnus of Williams College, The Juilliard School, UCLA School of Theater, Film, Television and New Media, the Public Theater EWG; and his fellowships include the Dramatist Guild, MacDowell, New York Stage and Film, Freedom Train Productions and the Writers Guild of America East. His pilot, THE TALENTED TEN, is mentored by Frank Pugliese and recommended by Lydia Cavallo Zasa at the Screenwriters Colony. www.PattersonProjects.biz

IMUETINYAN AGHAHOWA
VIRTUAL STAGE MANAGER / APPRENTICE

Imuetinyan Aghahowa is delighted to make her virtual theatre debut working behind the scenes of THE BLACK QUEENS SCREEN TESTS alongside The Tank. She has been involved in many productions that include; UNENTITLED, BLACK NO MORE, and KALISPELL. Having worked in marketing for The New Group and MCC Theatre, Imuetinyan has also trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York.

DIONNE McCLAIN-FREENEY
MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Composer: The Movie Star & The Mammy (Joe's Pub), The Sugar Hill Sisters (NYMF). Composer & Lyricist: The Harriet Holland Social Club, Rice and Rocks (Brooklyn Children’s Theatre), Going Home: Movement of Voices (New York Philharmonic's New World Initiative), This One Girl's Story (NC A&T, NYMF, Gayfest, GLAAD Media Award nominee). Music direction: ”Turn The Volume Up!- Amplifying Black Keys” (Ring of Keys), For Colored Girls (Public Theatre) Billy Ragamatag and the Shadow Circus, Shrek, Beauty and The Beast (Piper Theatre), The Fourth Wall (Off-Broadway). Bring The Beat Back (Polyphone Theatre Festival). BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. TGBTG!

TATIANA BARBER
CHOREOGRAPHER

Tatiana is a young Black Woman originally from Los Angeles, CA. She began her dance training in Inglewood, CA under the direction of Ms Kashmir Blake until age 6 then began training at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy until graduating Highschool in 2012. Soon after, she attended Dominican University of CA/Alonzo King Lines Ballet where she achieved a BFA in Dance. After graduating in 2016, she spent a year in a professional dance company and completed her certification as a Classical Pilates instructor. Tatiana is now living in New York continuing to pursue her professional career on and off the stage. She is a multi-talented artist who has worked as a dancer, actress, choreographer, and creative director (music videos, tv series, movie scenes, etc). Some of her accomplishments include performing on The Metropolitan Opera stage, as a dancer, in the cast of Porgy & Bess choreographed by Camille Brown and being awarded video of the month in Dance Magazine for her lead role in Tislarm Bouie’s Peggy Sue’s Blues. At the beginning of this year, Tatiana revamped the choreography for P R I S M, an opera, to be performed at The Kennedy Center in DC and was cast in Thoroughly Modern Millie for Encores at City Center, which was postponed due to the current pandemic. Tatiana identifies as Love and all things movement are her life!

LANCE K. LEWIS
PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Lance K. Lewis was born in Washington DC and attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he fell in love with design and was nominated for a “Cappie Award” for the production of “Our town”.  After designing and managing theater in the DC, Lance received his BFA from The Lincoln University in Oxford PA, then studied Lighting Design and at Brooklyn College where he received his MFA in Technical Design & Production with a focus in Lighting. As a working artist he’s designed and created at venues such as The Public Theater, The Signature Theatre, The Rockaway Theater Company and many others. His goal as a designer is to take his audiences on a journey by collaborating amazing work that flirts with the line of reality and fiction.

GYLANNI CARRINGTON
COSTUME DESIGNER

Gylanni is a queer artist from NYC. Gylanni has loved theatre from a young age, but has found a calling in theatrical design. Though skilled in many areas, Gylanni has a real passion for costumes. Gylanni believes the future of art lies in diverse storytelling, and is grateful and excited to be working on Black Queens. Past shows include, Sylvia with New York Deaf Theatre, The Rover with Torn Out Theatre Company, Rose’s War with Francesca Harper Productions, as well as many more. IG: Persephoneysgarden Twitter: Gylannidesigns #BlackTransLivesMatter

LUQMAN BROWN
SOUND DESIGNER & COMPOSER

Composer/ Sound Designer - Broadway: Hot Wing King,(Signature Theater); Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll’d,(Duke Theater) Hurt Village (Signature Theater); Off Broadway: Three Musketeers,(Classical Theater of Harlem); Peculiar Patriot,(National Black Theater) Adoration of an Old Woman,(Inter Theater) Detroit 67, (Julliard) ACE, (Lyle Courtney Production); El Coqui Spectacular and the Bottle of Doom ( La Vega Production); White People (Fordham University Theater); Cock Fight (Fordham University Theater); 12 Angry Men (Billie Holiday Theater); Br’er Rabbit the Opera: A Funky Meditation on Gentrification And How to Survive (BRIC) Seed ( National Black Theater); Regional: Legacy Land,(KC Rep); America V2.1 The sad Demise and Eventual Extinction of the American Negro,(Barrington Stage); What You Are,(The Old Globe); The Corpse Washer, How to Defend Yourself, We’ve Come to Believe, (Original Music for), Everybody Black,(Humana Fest 2019) Skeleton Crew, (TheaterSquared) Chad Deity,(Also Rep) Sense & Sensibility. (Cape Fear Theater) The Parchment Hour,(Guthrie Theater); An Oresteia (Rutgers Theater); Other Credits: Winner of the 2017 & 2018 Audelco Awards for sound design. As a professional musician Mr Brown has performed in numerous bands as well as produced many others. You can check out more at luqmanbrown.nyc

PETER CABALLERO
VIDEO DESIGNER

Peter Caballero of Rebel X Sounds provides a variety of services that can be customized and/or combined based on each client’s needs which include: Show production, Tour Driving Services, Live Sound, Live Recording Services, Equipment Rentals, Studio Recordings, background vocals, Mixing and Mastering. www.rebelxsounds.org

CHIARA JOHNSON
STAGE MANAGER CONSULTANT

Chiara Johnson is a stage manager from Queens. Recent credits include Pipeline at Mile Square Theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Fire This Time Festival, and Mirrors at NYTW’s 4th Street Theater.

JANELLE LAWRENCE
SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT

Janelle is an interdisciplinary artist who specializes in highlighting the complexity and layers to and of our lives. What does it mean to specialize in that? Well, it means they use every tool: music, soundscaping, dialogue, poetry, conversation, body, movement, etc., to present and occasionally replicate the parts of us that are unique, special, and still shared. They have had their musicals, plays, and performance art presented in various theater's in NYC - but they no longer want that to define their artistic depth and experience. They have been crafting stories, examining us (people), and attempting to bring people together their whole life; this is what they do. www.janellelawrence.com.

AMANDA MOREAU
WILHEMINA

Amanda Moreau moved to the Bronx, New York from Flint, Michigan when she was 10 years old. After performing in drama camps and high school plays, she attended the AMAS Musical Theater Academy, starring in Off-Off Broadway plays On the Town and No,No Nanette. She has a B.A in Theater from the City College of New York and studied scene study and film/tv acting at The Barrow Group Acting School. Recent credits include Discovery ID Channel’s Diabolical “The Rich Get Richer”, Annelle in the Millbrook Playhouse production of Steel Magnolias, The Girl With No Hands at the Flea Theater, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. You can see her in the University of Phoenix commercial “Still I Rise”; In addition to acting, she has a deep passion for fashion. Her street style has appeared on Buzzfeed.com, AfroPunk.com, LadyGunn magazine, Refinery29, Dark and Lovely Instagram, cosmopolitanmagazine.com and popsugar.com.

JOSHUA JOSEY
LADY

Joshua Josey is a Miami native and graduate from New World School of the Arts. He is a stage and film actor, writer, entrepreneur, model, and policy analyst. His notable performances include: Scapino (Scapino), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon/Theseus), Everyman (Everyman), Peter and the Starcatcher (Ted, Off-Bway), and Clybourne Park (Kevin). His most recent performances were with the Fire This Time Theatre Festival which was recorded on PBS and 48 Hours in Harlem. Currently, Joshua is developing a social media application devoted to public advocacy. His instagram is Joshuawjosey.

JAMES EDWARD BECTON*
FELICIA

James Edward Becton is beyond humbled and honored to be tapped to breathe life into Black Queens. A United States Army Veteran, he holds a BFA from Niagara University and is a product of training from Stella Adler, Matthew Corozine Studio and Shakespeare & Co. of Lenox, MA. James Edwards’ experience in performance is as diverse as it is eclectic having embodied such roles ranging from Richie Waters in A Chorus Line to Jesus in Godspell; from Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar to Sparky in Forever Plaid; Ross to Witch 2 in productions of Macbeth; from Jack Worthington in The Importance of Being Earnest to Viscount Goring in An Ideal Husband;  Essex Hemphill in Passing Ceremonies to Miss Roj in the Colored Museum; from Cherea in Caligula to The Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie; from Arcite in The Triumph of Love to Sebastian in Twelfth Night to Edmund in King Lear and the list goes on, to say nothing of the innumerable list of original cast of characters in original productions over his thirty plus years of activity in the industry.  For more about James Edward Becton, stop by www.JamesEdwardBecton.com

JOYIA D. BRADLEY
GLADYS

Joyia D. Bradley (Gladys)- has been trying to keep busy since the Pandemic so she is beyond thrilled to join this production of The Black Queens. Theatre Off Broadway and Regional- Mirrors (Louise) at NYTW Next Door; The Potemkin Play (Interrogation Officer) at Here Arts with Sextant Productions; Blood Oath (Jeanette) – Wildflower Theatre; Henry VI (Queen Margaret) – The Phoenix Theatre PA The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Mr. Tumnus) Dallas Theatre Center;

As You Like It (Adam, Phoebe) Stage West; Black Barbie in Hotel De Dream (Tabitha) at Hyde Park Theatre directed by Daniel Alexander Jones. Film- Son (Ella) DLA Films; Split Filter (Lisa) Mika Carter and Samantha Baptiste; Fucky Luckers (Rose) by Anthony Cytryn. Joyia will be directing her first feature film, Rex Unplugged, in 2021. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter and IMDB @joyiadbradley.

SUZANNE DARRELL*+
TAMIKA

Suzanne Darrell  (Her/She) Tamika, at the close of Broadway, she was last seen in Parity Productions’ Mirrors (Bird) at NYTW @Next Door by Azure D. Osborne-Lee. She is proud and thrilled to be part of the Tank’s presentation of The Black Queens by Jerome A. Parker. She is also a later-in-life MFA actor graduate from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Wearing many hats, she is a classically trained Contralto, Teaching Artist, Director. and Playwright.  Her stage credits include Katori Hall’s Children of Killers (Mama), Finding Home, (Nattie) at the Billie Holiday, and the Obie Award winning Harlem 9’s 48 Hours in Harlem C3’s - Where the Sun Don’t Shine, inspired by A Raisin in the Sun (Mother).  A native of Bermuda, she dedicates her performance to the late Ron Bopst.

THEODORE ALEXANDER
WILHELMINA DOUBLE

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Theodore Alexander began his formal training at the age of 16 at Johns Hopkins Peabody Preparatory and formal theatre training at Arena Players. He went on to attend Point Park University (‘20), where he has performed new works and revivals from choreographers such as Nacho Duato, José Limon, Crystal Frazier and Jason McDole. He has also performed in Festival Darc Chateâuroux France and co-choreographed for a work in Pearl Presents Dance Festival. He would like to thank all of his mentors for their patience and careful guidance. You may see more of his content by following his instagram @voracious_artistry.

MARCUS L. BRAGGS
LADY DOUBLE

Marcus L. Braggs, Las Vegas, Nevada native, attended the West Las Vegas center where his leaders caught wind of his artistry. There he further enhanced his church influenced musical brilliance. Though Braggs is a self-taught musician, blessed with an exceptional ear and natural ability to learn any instrument or dance technique, toiling in and perfecting his crafts drives him.  At Los Angeles’ Alexander Hamilton High School for the Arts Braggs studied, under the direction of Latrice Douglas and Karen McDonald, multiple styles of dance including Hiphop, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary and Ballet and went on to choreograph there.  Early New York career highlights include: the Earl Mosley Institute Of the Arts Program; Crystal Brown/Guggenheim Museum; and “Maverick Dance” - under the direction of Toni Renee Johnson.  He’s performed at venues such as Alvin Ailey, Baruch College, BAAD, and Mission Playhouse and highlighted music videos features include: Black Eye Peas “Rock Your Body”;  Hermitude “Stupid World”; Mac Cosmetics “Aahliah A-Z”; Intrinsic Wine “Artist In New York”; and Clifton Conrad “Hunter Gather”. Currently, Braggs is a “Movement Director For Fashion” whose mission is to introduce Artistic Elevated movement into the fashion world.