Visiting McIlroy Professors Share Work Exploring African American Plays

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Broadway actors Crystal Dickinson and Brandon J. Dirden, U of A's 2021-22 McIlroy Family Visiting Professors in the Visual and Performing Arts.

Broadway actors Crystal Dickinson and Brandon J. Dirden have been teaching a semester-long class in African American plays for the Department of Theatre’s graduate students, as the U of A’s 2021-22 McIlroy Family Visiting Professors in the Visual and Performing Arts.

Dickinson, Dirden and their M.F.A. students will present an overview of the work generated during an open-ended classroom experience while discussing their approaches and sharing their discoveries and creative research in a special presentation at 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 31, on Zoom.

The evening will include an interview with guest professors Dickinson and Dirden, as well as cross-cultural conversations between M.F.A. actors and directors. M.F.A. design students will also have a chance to discuss their research process and design challenges they encountered when working cross-culturally. It will conclude with a Q&A session, during which audience members can ask questions about the class and Dickinson’s and Dirden’s careers as Broadway actors.

The presentation is free and open to the public, but registration is required online. The event is presented by the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and its Department of Theatre.

In their class, Dickinson (Clybourne Park and You Can’t Take it With You on Broadway; Showtime’s The Chi) and Dirden (Martin Luther King in All the Way and Jitney on Broadway; FX’s The Americans and Netflix’s The Get Down) have examined the historical and contemporary relevance of African American playwrights, including August Wilson, Alice Childress and George C. Wolfe.

Dickinson, Dirden and their M.F.A. students also explored their plays through discussion and presentations across both cultural lines and theatrical disciplines, including scenic design, lighting design, costume design, acting, directing and playwriting. 

Of the U of A students, Dickinson said, “They’re so brave for doing this work. Everybody has been lifted by this process.”

Dirden agreed, adding that “when we keep the cannon so limited, when we don’t open it up to everyone to work on, we miss so much opportunity for necessary conversations that can be uncomfortable, but that is the beauty of theatre. There’s room for everybody to tell their story, all voices.”

Edwin Green, an M.F.A. candidate in acting, said the experience has been vital for him to work on, and that he was grateful for Dickinson and Dirden and all who were involved in making the class come to fruition.

“This class has brought to the surface for me that even if you yourself don’t share the same race or culture of a story, you can still empathize and successfully comprehend the meaning and the humanity of a story,” Green said. “You can still bring yourself to the story and get something beautiful out of it.”

Ethan Lubera, an M.F.A. candidate in design, said the “exploration of African American culture set up an environment of greater sensitivity to examine specific elements and aspects through discussion, observation and collaboration. Often, we were challenged with content in new and exciting ways, and I am grateful for how this course has added to my cultural competency.”

Dickinson said she really enjoyed her time with the U of A theatre M.F.A. cohort and was impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and passion.

“The level of compassion, respect and dedication that these students have shown to the work – and to using it to effect change and confront truth – has been one of my great joys as a teacher,” she said. “I can’t wait to share our experience with the larger university community.”

Please note that the presentation will explore themes of racism and inequality and could include mature content or language that could be offensive.

About Crystal Dickinson: Dickinson is an actor, educator and New Jersey native. An M.F.A. graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, she also studied at the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Art and is an elite member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Currently, Dickinson is involved with The Commissary, an artist collective that creates and examines work around the discussion of racial and social injustice in America. Dickinson began her professional career in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was named by the Atlanta Sunday Paper as “One of the Ten Best Female Actors in Atlanta” and also received a Jenny Award for Best Actress. Her New York career began at The Signature Theater alongside her husband, Brandon Dirden, and brother-in-law, Jason Dirden, in Leslie Lee's First Breeze of Summer. Dickinson performed on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning play, Clybourne Park, for which she received an illustrious Theater World Award, and the Tony-nominated play, You Can't Take It With You, alongside James Earl Jones and Rose Byrne. She has also performed at Lincoln Center, The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons and Theater for A New Audience and The Atlantic, among others, and worked with Thomas Kail, Micheal Grief, Scott Ellis, Bryan Cranston, Wendell Pierce, Pam Mackinnon, Lila Neugebauer and Leigh Silverman. Her film and television credits include I Origins, The Good Wife, New Amsterdam and recurring roles on Showtime’s The Chi and ABC’s For Life. Dickinson has also taught acting at Stella Adler Studio, Spelman College, New York University, Princeton, Pace University, University of Illinois and Seton Hall. She has also served as an ambassador or adviser to numerous theater programs.

About Brandon J. Dirden: Dirden is associate arts professor in the Graduate Acting Department in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He received his B.A. in mathematics and drama from Morehouse College and his M.F.A. in acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dirden is an actor and director perhaps best known for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Robert Schenkkan's All The Way opposite Bryan Cranston's Lyndon B. Johnson. In 2017, he starred in the Broadway premier of August Wilson’s Tony Award-winning Jitney, directed by frequent collaborator, Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Dirden made his directorial debut with August Wilson's Seven Guitars at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, to great acclaim in 2016, and in 2018 he returned to Two River to direct Wilson’s King Hedley II to a sold-out run. Dirden also played Agent Dennis Aderholt on FX's hit series The Americans. Other television appearances include Baz Lehrman’s The Get Down for Netflix, FX’s Mrs. America and ABC’s new hit drama For Life. His work onstage has been recognized with a Theater World Award, OBIE award, AUDELCO award, Drama League distinction, Lucille Lortel nomination and others. Dirden has been a guest lecturer at Black Arts Institute, Spelman College, Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, Columbia University and Juilliard.

About the McIlroy Family Visiting Professorship in the Visual and Performing Arts: The professorship, established in the university's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, supports the teaching and work of professional artists who impart highly specialized knowledge essential to students' artistic, educational, and career enrichment and of value to the community at large. It was made possible through the philanthropy of Hayden and Mary Joe McIlroy and the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.

About the Department of Theatre: The Department of Theatre has been providing exciting and affordable live theatre for more than 70 years. The department combines a first-rate theatrical education full of hands-on experience with a wide selection of titles to challenge students and delight the community. The department offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre, a broad-spectrum program in the context of a liberal arts education, and the Master of Fine Arts degree offers three tracks emphasizing Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Costume Design, Scene Design and Lighting Design. Classes at both undergraduate and graduate levels are focused on providing a strong, professional orientation to theatre performance and technology in conjunction with appropriate research-based coursework to address the required foundations in theatre history, dramatic literature and dramatic criticism.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.