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FAMILY PORTRAITS: AUNT LILLIAN

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From Obie Award-winning composer Kirsten Childs (The Bubbly Black Girl…, The Vineyard’s Miracle Brothers), this wickedly funny and captivating audio musical delves into a story from her own childhood. When Aunt Lillian travels from North Carolina to Los Angeles to help care for Kirsten and her siblings, a battle of wills begins.

Additional credits:
Christopher Deschene, Music Copyist

Aunt Lillian was engineered and mixed by Chris Cubeta at Studio G Brooklyn
With Assistant Engineer, Richard Salino

Photo of Kirsten Childs by Zack DeZon

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FAMILY PORTRAITS: AUNT LILLIAN

Spring/Summer of 2021

By Kirsten Childs
Directed by Awoye Timpo
Music Direction Jacinth Greywoode
Orchestrations by Daryl Waters
Sound Design by Elisheba Ittoop
Production Coordinator Jhanae Bonnick

With Darlesia Cearcy, Brandon Gill, Amber Iman, Ashley D Kelley, Kevin Massey, Jasmin Walker, NaTasha Yvette Williams

Musicians: Jacinth Greywoode (Keys), Kevin Wunderlich (Guitar), Parker McAllister (Bass), Spencer Cohen (Drums)


Click Here to donate to our End-of-the-Season campaign for early access!

From Obie Award-winning composer Kirsten Childs (The Bubbly Black Girl..., The Vineyard’s Miracle Brothers), this wickedly funny and captivating audio musical delves into a story from her own childhood. When Aunt Lillian travels from North Carolina to Los Angeles to help care for Kirsten and her siblings, a battle of wills begins.

Additional credits:
Christopher Deschene, Music Copyist

Aunt Lillian was engineered and mixed by Chris Cubeta at Studio G Brooklyn
With Assistant Engineer, Richard Salino

Photo of Kirsten Childs by Zack DeZon

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Kirsten Childs

(Playwright / Composer) The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Playwrights Horizons) – Obie, Kleban, Audelco, Richard Rodgers and Gilman Gonzalez-Falla awards; Rockefeller and Jonathan Larson Grants; Lucille Lortel and three Drama Desk nominations. Rumpelstiltskin (concert version) – American Songbook series at Lincoln Center. House Of Flowers (adaptation) – City Center Encores! This year, she will be part of a composers’ evening at the Guggenheim Museum honoring Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. Wasted – George Street Playhouse. Kirsten has written songs for Dianne Reeves, and is working on original musicals with playwright Charles Randolph-Wright as well as novelist Walter Mosley. Um milhão de beijos para Esquilo, Jelon e Rick Sordelet. To the cast and crew, um milhão de vezes obrigado. Miracle Brothers is dedicated to the axé of the Brazilian people, the mother goddesses Mary and Yemanja, and my own personal mother goddess, Mable Childs.

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Awoye Timpo

(Director) Vineyard Theatre debut. THE REVOLVING CYCLES TRULY AND STEADILY ROLL’D (Playwrights Realm), THE HOMECOMING QUEEN (Atlantic Theater), SKELETON CREW (Chester Theater), SISTER SON/JI (Billie Holiday Theater), CARNAVAL (National Black Theatre), NDEBELE FUNERAL (59E59, South African tour, Edinburgh Festival), THE LIBATION BEARERS (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), IN THE CONTINUUM (Juilliard). Producer: CLASSIX, a reading series exploring classic plays by Black playwrights. Broadway: Associate Director, JITNEY. Other: Associate Director, OTHELLO (Shakespeare in the Park), ABC/Disney, Cherry Lane, Ma-Yi, New Dramatists, NOW Africa, PEN World Voices, Royal Shakespeare Company, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, WNYC. Upcoming: PARADISE BLUE (Long Wharf).

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JACINTH GREYWOODE

JACINTH GREYWOODE (Music Director) is a NY-based composer and music director. Recent compositional credits include: GONE MISSING Encores! Off-Center Lobby Project (New York City Center); MASTER (American Opera Projects); IRON JOHN, (2020 Richard Rodgers Finalist, 2019 O’Neill NMTC Semifinalist, NAMT 31st Festival of New Musicals, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley New Works Festival, 2019 O’Neill Incubator Residency; Co-Book and Lyrics, Rebecca Hart); and BLACK GIRL IN PARIS (Civilians 2020 R&D Group; Book and Lyrics, AriDy Nox). Recent credits as music director/arranger: A SOLDIER’S PLAY and THE ROSE TATTOO with Roundabout Theatre Company (American Airlines Theater), WiLDFLOWER (Apollo Theater), and THIS IS B.S., a new webseries. Jacinth received a Bachelor of Arts in music with a Certificate in collaborative piano performance from Princeton University, a Master of Arts in composition from Stony Brook University, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

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DARYL WATERS

DARYL WATERS (orchestrator) is always pleased to be part of Kirsten Childs' collaborative team. He has provided orchestrations for two of her other shows, Miracle Brothers (Vineyard Theatre) and Bella. Other credits include music supervisor/orchestrator/arranger for The Cher Show; Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed; Holler If Ya Hear Me; Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk; Street Corner Symphony and A Civil War Christmas. He was also the conductor for After Midnight, orchestrated Memphis (Tony/Drama Desk awards for best orchestrations) and wrote dance music arrangements for The Color Purple and Jelly’s Last Jam. His composing credits include Noise/Funk (Tony/Grammy nominations for best musical) and Drowning Crow. Mr. Waters is a graduate of Livingstone College, an historically Black college in Salisbury, NC.

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Elisheba Ittoop

Elisheba Ittoop (Sound Design) Her designs and original music have been heard at The Kennedy Center, The Public Theater, American Repertory Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Theatre Club, MCC, Guthrie Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, American Conservatory Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Signature Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, National Gallery of Art, Soho Rep, Huntington Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Denver Center, Two River Theater, Woolly Mammoth, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Arena Stage, Alliance Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Bonnaroo Music Festival, and Okeechobee Music Festival. Elisheba was a recipient of the Kenan Fellowship at the Kennedy Center, and winner of the 2008 USITT Rising Star Award. She has produced podcasts and written music for the New York Times, NPR, CNN, Audible, WGBH, WFMT/Glimmerglass, and Sony Music. Education: NYU, North Carolina School of the Arts. www.elishebaittoop.com

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Darlesia Cearcy

AEA /SAG-AFTRA/DGA member. Recently appeared on the episodic “HIGH FIDELITY” on HULU after appearing as the “Judge” on FBI. She was last seen on Broadway as Erzulie: Goddess of Love in TONY AWARD winning Revival ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Appeared as original cast member and U/S to Audra Mc Donald and performed as "Lottie Gee" in the amazing Broadway musical SHUFFLE ALONG... Recognized for her participation by the Grammy Foundation for her performance in The Book Of Mormon. She has performed on Broadway as “Nettie” in The COLOR PURPLE, “Sarah” in RAGTIME for which she received a Helen Hayes Nomination, and THE GOODBYE GIRL! She’s sung on MTV’s Most Wanted, VH1, Top of the Pops in London, and was nominated for a Viva Award for her single release “EVERLASTING Pictures…” Her television credits include: Shira Ritchie in MADAME SECRETARY. Congresswoman Simone Murphy on Session 5 of House of Cards. ELEMENTARY on CBS; Law and Order SVU, “Ms. Berg” in Rescue Me; NurseJackie and Mercy as “Adrienne Mercer” on NBC. Film Credits: “Sharla” in The Challenger and RUSH. Darlesia appears in The Podcast of “Edge of Night” written by Kirsten Childs (Bella; Bubblin’ Black Girl). Darlesia is a former scholarship student of Houston Ballet Academy where she trained privately, classical ballet, modern dance and jazz for 10 years. She studied Theatre at HSPVA in Houston and went on to study writing including Expository Writing at The New School and African American Literature with an emphasis on the Harlem Renaissance writers at CUNY in 2000. Darlesia studied Chekhov in an intensive at the ACTORS CENTER in NY and is a student of Meisner Technique. She wrote and Executive Produced a new musical “Freedom” which she premiered for the 100th year anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s life at THE CELL THEATRE in 2013.

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Brandon Gill

BRANDON GILL, a native New Yorker, is a graduate of The Juilliard School and LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. Brandon has been seen on Broadway in A Christmas Carol (directed by Matthew Warchus) and Holler If Ya Hear Me (directed by Kenny Leon). He has also starred in Too Heavy For Your Pocket (Roundabout Underground), Bella (Playwrights Horizons, Lucille Lortel Award nomination), The Last Goodbye (The Old Globe, directed by Alex Timbers), and the World Premieres of Neighbors (The Public Theater) and Stagger Lee (Dallas Theater Center). Brandon stars in the upcoming film Bashira; other films include Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son, Fourth Man Out, Foreclosure, and Sorcerer's Apprentice. On television, Brandon has made guest appearances on "NCIS: New Orleans", "Madam Secretary", "Blue Bloods", "Beauty and the Beast", "House of Cards", "Do No Harm", "Detroit 187", "Law & Order: SVU", and recurred on Marvel’s "The Punisher" and "Golden Boy".

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Amber Iman

Broadway: Shuffle Along, Nina Simone in Soul Doctor. Off-Broadway: A Civil War Christmas, RENT. National Tour: Hamilton (1st National, Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds). Favorite Regional Credits: Joy in Witness Uganda (The Wallis, LA Ovation Award Winner - Best Featured Actress in a Musical), Cheryl in Stick Fly (Arena Stage, IRNE Award Nominee - Best Supporting Actress), Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (Shakespeare Theatre, Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Actress & Emery Battis Award for Acting Excellence). Howard University Graduate (2016 James Butcher Alumni Award). Proud founding member: Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Black Women On Broadway. Writer, Executive Producer, and Star of her award-winning short film, Steve. www.amberiman.com

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Ashley B. Kelly

ASHLEY B. KELLY National Tour: The Play That Goes Wrong. Off-Broadway: Eve’s Song (The Public Theater, Dir: Jo Bonney), Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons, Dir: Robert O’Hara). Regional: An Act of God (Bucks County Playhouse), Bella: An American Tall Tale (Dallas Theater Center), Dorothy in The Wiz (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). Upcoming Film: Home Team (Netflix). TV: "Recurred on Insatiable" (Netflix), "Luke Cage" (Netflix). Born and raised in New York! Graduate of Temple University.

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KEVIN MASSEY

KEVIN MASSEY Broadway: Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Monty Navarro u/s), Memphis (Huey u/s), Tarzan (OBC & Cast Album, Tarzan u/s), Deaf West’s Big River (Revival OBC, swing), Antony & Cleopatra (Eros, NYCO at Carnegie Hall). Off-Broadway: Bella: An American Tall Tale (Bonny Johnny/Snaggletooth, Playwrights Horizons, Cast Album). Tours: Gentleman's Guide... (originated Monty Navarro, 1st National), Little House on the Prairie (originated Almanzo Wilder, 1st National, Paper Mill, Guthrie Theater). Europe: Tarzan (Tarzan, Hamburg), Grease! (Doody). Select Regional: Sunset Blvd. (Artie, North Shore MT), The Rivals, musical (originated Jack Absolute, BRT) Titanic (Bride, PCLO), The Full Monty (Malcolm, PCLO), Bonnie & Clyde (Ted, Asolo Rep), The Three Musketeers (originated D’Artagnan, Chicago Shakespeare), Pippin (Pippin, Utah Shakes & KC Rep); UNC Morehead-Cain Scholar. TV: ABC’s The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II, Tony Awards, CBS Macy’s Day Parade. Love my Kara, little guy and family @kcmassey1 www.kevinmassey.com

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Jasmin Walker

Jasmin Walker Broadway: Avenue Q. Off-Broadway: Conflict (Mint Theater Company), Avenue Q (New World Stages), 365 Days/365 Plays (The Public), Only Children (LCT), Jesus Christ Superstar All-Female in Concert *including album* (Highline Ballroom). Regional Faves: The Call (TheaterWorks Hartford), Venice (KC Rep), with work at Syracuse Stage, Music Theatre Wichita and The MUNY. TV/Film: “Law & Order: SVU”; “When They See Us” (Ava DuVernay/Netflix); “The Path” (Hulu); “Madoff” (ABC); “Inside Amy Schumer”; “The Blacklist”; “Person of Interest”; “The Good Wife”; “The Chappelle Show”; “Eklypse: A Hip Hop Fable”; “I Was In Your Blood”; “Land of Owls”; “How The Light Gets In”; “Murphy Crib”; “Freedomland”. Proud VO actor with current national campaigns, animation, and audiobooks. BFA from CCM.

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NaTasha Yvette Williams

NaTasha Yvette Williams, Broadway Credits: Waitress ( Becky), Chicago (Mama Morton). Broadway: A Night With Janis Joplin( Aretha, Joplinaire) The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Mariah) The Color Purple (Sofia). You may have seen her on PBS in Lincoln Center’s Showboat (Queenie) with The NY Philharmonic. Featured Vocalist/Concerts: Carnegie Hall (Irving Berlin), Avery Fisher Hall (Ragtime), Indianapolis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Ottawa Symphony, just to name a few. TV credits: Esther on “New Amsterdam” , Juror Florence on “The Good Fight” , “Dash and Lilly” Topaz “Orange is the New Black”, “Madam Secretary” “ NOS4A2” and Pearl in “The God Father of Harlem” starring Forrest Whitaker. Look for her in the upcoming Historical Thriller ALICE starring Keke Palmer and Common. NaTasha is an entertainment force and a founding member of Black Theatre United, committed to protecting, black people, black talent, and black lives through empowering each community through activism for the pursuit of justice and equality for the betterment of all humanity.

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Chris Deschene

Chris Deschene (Copyist) is delighted to be working again and especially excited to be working on AUNT LILLIAN. Chris is experienced in music prep and has his own company, Music Ink, LLC. He has supervised Broadway shows including MEMPHIS and movies, including THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH by Joel Coen. He has completed doctoral studies at Columbia University as well as having a BM and and MM from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

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