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The Department of Theatre and Dance presents a Virtual Production of  ‘TASHA, a Protest Play by Yusef Miller, directed by Tia James, and choreographed by Francesca Harper.

‘T�����ᴡ is set in a modern republic. White Nationalists are occupying the government. Black communities are under martial law. Newly elected President Waters rules that from henceforth all who defy the police are criminals and will remain unburied should they be killed. Natasha Brown, 27, seeking justice, buries he cousin, murdered by law enforcement. In doing so, ‘Tasha ignites a prophecy long buried, the criminalization of Brown people. But is this prophecy reversible? ‘T�����ᴡ was inspired by Sophocles’ ANTIGONE.

Playwright’s Note: ‘TASHA was written while I was facilitating a Devised Theatre class. The aim of the class was to magnify the voices of young women of color, murdered by the police – racial violence perpetrated against the female Black body is seldom told. A prototype of TASHA was first performed for and by Black and Latina students. I strongly urge that any future production of ‘TASHA evolve from a performance lab among theatre students. The process should amplify Greek tragedy through the inclusion of non-traditional voices. The lab goal should be to empower and inspire young artists of color to address race, gender, and the criminalization of Black people.

Yusef Miller (Playwright) is from Houston but resides near the Bronx river. He has a Lila Acheson Wallace Playwright Fellowship and a Le Comte Du Nouy Prize in Playwriting Excellence at The Juilliard School. Yusef holds an MFA in Theatre and Dance from The University of California, San Diego. He holds a B.A. in English from Morehouse College. As Playwright, Yusef is a 2020 Dramatist Guild Foundation Grant recipient. Yusef was a finalist for the New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Fellowship. He was a finalist for the Lincoln Center Artist Mentoring Lab Fellowship. Yusef’s tragedy ‘T�����ᴡ was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O’Neill National Conference and received a 20-hour workshop at Hi-Arts, a home for Hip-Hop Art and Urban Culture.

Tia James (Director) is an actor, teacher, director, and vocal coach, currently a faculty member of UNC Professional Actor Training Program, and vocal coach and company member of PlayMakers Repertory Company. Tia has been seen on Broadway in The Merchant of Venice (Broadhurst Theater), and regional theater productions include Julius Caesar (PlayMakers Rep) Native Son (PlayMakers Rep), Richard III (Allentown Shakespeare); Loving and Loving (Stella Adler Studios); The Winter’s Tale and The Merchant of Venice (The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park), Much Ado About Nothing (Two River Theater) and Civilization (all you can eat) (Woolly Mammoth Theater). Her television credits include “Nurse Jackie” and “Treme.” She has been the vocal coach for PlayMakers Rep, having worked on such shows as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Skeleton Crew, She Loves Me, Bewilderness, Jump, Life of Galileo, and How I Learned to Drive.

Francesca Harper (Choreographer) After being named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performing at the White House Harper joined and performed soloist roles with The Dance Theater of Harlem and later as a Principal Artist in William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt. Harper has choreographed for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Tanz Graz, Hubbard Street II, and her own company, The Francesca Harper Project, which was founded in 2005 and tours Internationally.