Another season finale has arrived! For our final season six episode, we welcome director, actor, author, and Black Theatre United co-founder Schele Williams, who leaves us with gems of wisdom to carry us forward until we meet again! She may be the first Black woman to direct a Broadway musical in 50 years, but she certainly isn’t interested in bein…

This week we welcome Tony Award-winning costume designer Dede Ayite! You’ve seen her designs in Broadway shows like Appropriate, Days of Wine and Rose, Hell’s Kitchen, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding—and that was just for this 2023-2024 season! We dive into why research is her favorite part of the design process, what she hopes audiences receive f…

This week we talk with Ambe J. Williams, a portrait and commercial photographer, director, and actor on sabbatical. We discuss the skills she relied on during her journey through the actor-to-photographer pipeline, the courageous cocktails that led to her film directorial debut, and the music videos that inspire her (when put on the spot).…

This week we chat with The Theater Offensive’s executive director, Giselle Byrd. We dive into how liberation and community has always been at the center of her artistic philosophy—from her leadership beginnings in college as President of 3rd Act to building momentum as a talent manager to crafting her vision as the first Black trans woman leading a…

This week we talk with writer, educator, and art critic Ricky Tucker. He is the author of And The Category Is…: Inside New York’s Vogue, House and Ballroom Community, for which he was a 2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Nonfiction. We explore the idea of social versus stage performance, misconceptions of art criticism, and how the sacred space…

This week we chat with actor, dancer, producer, creative director, and wellness enthusiast Leroy Church. The Chita Rivera and Antonyo Award winner shares his story, starting with his church dance beginnings at age 13 all the way to his current expansion into producing and creative directing, like he did with the renowned Dreamgirls production on Cl…

This week we welcome Tony winner Nikki M. James! We discuss the beautiful breadth of Black women she has played in her career—from The Book of Mormon’s Nabulungi (which earned her a 2011 Tony Award) to The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin’s Viveca to real-life investigative journalist Ida B. Wells in Suffs, her current role that earned he…

This week we talk with the inaugural recipient of Vineyard Theatre’s Colman Domingo Award and the inaugural recipient of the John Singleton Screenwriter Award, playwright and screenwriter York Walker. We talk about the Disney kid to Broadway fan pipeline, his artistic philosophy as a playwright, and what he learned from working on his first profess…

This week we talk with Brooklyn McLain, the co-founder and COO of the first Black-owned Broadway merchandise company, “merch.” We chat about the musical that made him a self-described “theatre enthusiast,” why merchandising is so important to a show’s branding, and what it was like introducing the first durag to Broadway.…

This week we chat with Thaïs Bass-Moore, who both as a kid and a theatremaker has done “everything and anything!” She is an actor, director, writer, mommy, wifey, Co-Founder and Director of University of Texas’ Fearless Leadership Institute, and author of A Syllabus for Black Women: 110 Life Lessons for Sistahs in College. We dive into the moment t…

This week, we talk with Broadway Inspirational Voices’ Artistic Director Allen René Louis, who also works as a music director, arranger, composer, lyricist, vocalist, instrumentalist, vocalist, actor, creative director, and producer. We dive into how his Haitian roots influence his musical approach, why he embraces imposter syndrome, and the artist…

This week we welcome playwright, screenwriter, and former President of the Library Club, C.A. Johnson! We chat about the differences between collaboration for theatre versus television, how capitalism influences theatremaking, and what it was like seeing her play All The Natalie Portmans go from page to stage.…

This week we chat with Nate Shelton, a self-described “general theatre person.” He’s worn many hats in the theatre space—from actor to company manager to TKTS employee to Actors’ Equity Association Contractual Business Representative. Throughout all of them, his joy and enthusiasm for the theatre has never wavered. We dive into how he joined the th…

You’re gonna hear her roar! This week, we chat with Maya Boyd, the current star of &Juliet on Broadway! We discuss her experience of training in Russian ballet as a kid, how auditions helped her musical theater imposter syndrome, and what it was like making her Broadway debut in Merrily We Roll Along while she was still a senior at the University o…

Happy 10th anniversary, Holler If Ya Hear Me! A decade ago, today, a musical featuring a score from one of history's most influential rappers, Tupac Shakur, opened at Broadway's Palace Theatre and we are celebrating with a special episode. Though the production only lasted 17 previews and 38 performances, it impacted the Broadway landscape through …

Get stretching because this week we are going behind the scenes of America’s most famous kicklines! Formerly a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and a Radio City Rockette, dancer Jacie Scott knows a thing or two about high-kicks. We dive into the similarities and differences of the two groups—from auditions to misconceptions to her experience as a Black w…

And I say, “Hey! What a wonderful kind of day!” as we chat with actor, cosplayer, and content creator Lillian Hope! We talk about why she got into cosplay content creation, why the Millennial generation is so nostalgic, and why Black Nerds Matter.

This week, we talk with Kelundra Smith about the many writing hats she wears as a culture and theater critic, playwright, arts and culture journalist, and Managing Editor of American Theatre Magazine. We dive into what inspired her to write The Wash and Younger (a prequel to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun), how her Southern perspective in…

The 2024 WNBA season tipped off just last week, and we are celebrating with Criscia Long! She is the Senior Director of Entertainment for NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, the Long Island Nets, and WNBA’s New York Liberty. We dive into how she embraces commercial and concert dance, what she learned during her time as a pro NBA dancer, and what it was like orche…

We are BACK IN THE HABIT, y’all! After three years away, we are kicking off season six with a catch-up episode. We highlight some of the incredible accomplishments of some podcast alums, as well as hear from four previous guests about how their lives have changed since their podcast episode aired. We chat with Marc J. Franklin (Episode 12), Vincent…

Happy 30th Anniversary to Beauty and the Beast! 30 years ago today, Disney’s first musical premiered on Broadway and we are celebrating with a special episode. In honor of the milestone, we chatted with three Black actors who have played Belle: Briana Brooks from ZACH Theatre’s 2018 production (Austin, TX), Jade Jones from Olney Theatre Center’s 20…

After a long hiatus, we are BACK for a special holiday episode! We take you inside the creation of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker, the jazz-steeped reimagining of the classic ballet that runs at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre this month. We talk with producers Ron Simons and Valencia Yearwood, conductor and pianist Harold O'Neal, and …

Hiawayi Robinson should be turning 16 this year. But in 2014, the 8-year-old girl from Prichard was raped, murdered and left in a pile of trash on an abandoned lot. But, who did it? | Amir Jennings was last seen with his mother, Zinah Jennings, in Columbia, South Carolina, around the week of November 22, 2011. Where is he now? --- Send in a voice m…

Destiny Fitzpatrick was shot and killed on July 5, 2022 in Atlanta, GA by her boyfriend. | Featured missing Person: Myra Lewis --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/support

Azsia Johnson was shot in the head while pushing her 3-month-old daughter in a stroller to go meet with her child's father. | Missing person: Tiffany Starks-Foster went missing on March 1, 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ill…

Updates on both Felicia Johnson and Kierra Coles cases. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/support

Montreach Mitchell was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Timmy Brooks, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel. Listen in to find out his motive. | Featured missing person: D'Wan Sims.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/support…

Zymere Perkins, a sweet, adorable child nicknamed “ZP,” was deprived of food and sleep, thrown into icy showers, and relentlessly beaten with belts and sticks by his mother and her boyfriend. Zymere died Sept. 26, 2016 after months of abuse. | Featured Missing Person: Codi Bigsby --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/…

Lauren Juma was shot and killed inside her home after she was allegedly held captive by her mother's boyfriend. | 11 Missing Black Men --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/support…

Brittany Booker had been trying to help a friend two months ago when police say the pair were ambushed by the friend's recent ex-boyfriend, Terry L. Jackson, who beat both women with a hammer. Authorities believe the man later returned to town and killed Booker. | Featured Missing Person: Alexis Ware of South Carolina--- Send in a voice message: ht…

Pamela & AJ Isabell were fatally stabbed while they slept along with three other family members who survived. Ella Goodie was last seen March 9, 2022. Tune in to find out more as I dive into both stories. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/po…

Arthur 'Archie' Eversole was a beloved hip-hop recording artist based in Atlanta, Georgia who was shot and killed by his own brother. But why? Tune in to find out what happened. Featured Missing person: Felicia Johnson missing from Houston, Texas. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this…

In this episode, Buffy will talk about the Shamaya Lynn case and why gun safety is important to teach your children. Our featured missing person in this episode is Shawtyeria Waites.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illicit-deeds/su…

For the season five finale of call and response, we celebrate FREEDOM. In a time where fear and scarcity feel wide-spread, how can we claim freedom, abundance, and liberation for ourselves? We talk with five artist-creators about what artistic freedom means to them. Hear from actor and multidimensional storyteller Ja'Michael De'Shawn, director Mira…

For season 5's penultimate episode, we talk with artivist Britton Smith, who you’ve seen on Broadway in Be More Chill, Shuffle Along, and After Midnight, about how he learned to embrace his authentic self, what he’s learned from his work with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and why he started his funk liberation band, Britton & The Sting.…

We are so hype, so thrilled, and so excited that call and response podcast has hit of 100 episodes! To celebrate the milestone, we’re looking back at the previous 99 episodes, highlighting and reliving some of the best moments—the joy, the tears, and the thought-provoking conversations on what it means to exist at the intersection of Blackness and …

We talk with Gerald Caesar, soon to be seen in the Dear Evan Hansen movie adaptation, about making his Broadway debut in A Bronx Tale, performing with Choir Boy on the Tony Awards, and navigating social media pressures and nuances.

We talk with Tony winner Tonya Pinkins about what she learned from starring in Caroline, or Change, why she initially didn’t want to move to New York City, and how she grew from her experience as the writer-director-star of the award-winning socio-political horror film Red Pill.

We chat with Ain’t Too Proud star Jawan M. Jackson about how his support system encouraged him to pursue music, what his journey to New York City was like, and why he is committed to giving back.

We talk with the leadership team of the Obie-winning The Fire This Time Festival—executive director and founder Kelley Girod, producer Julienne Hairston, associate producer and director of TFTT New Works Lab A.J. Muhammad, and artistic director Cezar Williams—about how the festival has cultivated the feeling of family, why freedom of voice is essen…

We chat with Broadway performer Zurin Villanueva about what she gained from attending Howard University, how she felt performing in the musical adaptations of the iconic movies Clueless and Mean Girls, and why learning from Savion Glover in Shuffle Along changed her dance game.

We talk with The Lion King and Kiss Me, Kate star Adrienne Walker about studying vocal performance at Spelman College, fighting assumptions as a Black soprano, and launching her multimedia series 32 Bar Cut.

We chat with Ty Jones, the Producing Artistic Director of Classical Theatre of Harlem and an award-winning stage actor (NAACP, OBIE) about rebuilding the organization to make an uptown impact, finding inspiration for programming, and creating theatre that is all about the people.

We talk with Tony-nominated producer and recently named Global Producer of the Year Brian Moreland about the producer contributions to diversifying audiences, the need to break free of hamster-wheel conversations, and the necessity of rediscovering the North Star of Theatre.

We talk with The Muny’s Director of Education Tali Allen about when she fell in love with music education, what her Gen Z students have taught her, and why being “the only” can feel both exhausting, yet rewarding.

We chat with actor-musician and Howard University’s BFA Musical Theatre Coordinator Marty Austin Lamar about the dare that led him to musical theatre, the power of education in the pursuit of equity, and the lessons he brings from his acting career to the classroom.

We talk with award-winning playwright, author, and University of Texas professor Dr. Lisa B. Thompson about why theatre is like a postcard, the importance of intergenerational connections, and how her work in academia and the theatre world inform each other.

We chat with marketing executive and entrepreneur Khalilah Elliott about finding mentorship as Black women in the performing arts space, working at iconic institutions like the Apollo Theater and Disney Theatrical, and forming her own company, Gafford Communications.

We talk with talent manager and entrepreneur ChiChi Anyanwu about her game-changing experience at the McCarter Theatre, the origin story of creating her own management company, and the important three C-words that inform her work with her clients.

Welcome to the land of Kyle Taylor Parker! We talk about his liberating experience in Kinky Boots, infusing his truth into his work, and producing his solo album Broadway Soul, Vol. 2 during the time of the ‘Rona.