RUN OF THE MILL THEATER COMPANY CLOSES CURTAIN ON ITS INAUGURAL SEASON WITH THE SPECTATOR.
THE PLAY The play, at times hilarious and at times tragic, focuses on a modern day, 98% white, suburban school, Meadowview, that is dealing with pressure to diversify its curriculum and its community. The diversity committee at the school decides to put on an original musical to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The musical-a subject of much ballyhoo months before its premiere-features a cast of singing, dancing high schoolers. There's only one problem: there are no black students at Meadowview. As the school administrators are divided by the event, scenes from the musical play out in the background…all the while two black spectators watch from the audience, and are slowly drawn into the action. The Spectator examines how we view and represent each other as races, and what, if anything, has changed in the last fifty years. THE PLAYWRIGHT Born and raised in Baltimore City, twenty-two-year old R. Eric Thomas is currently pursuing a BA in Multicultural Studies and Playwriting at UMBC under playwright and performance artist Dr. Susan McCully. The Spectator marks his Baltimore playwriting debut. Thomas previously produced his plays The Affair, Linda Davis and Welcome to the Neighborhood at Columbia University. Thomas is also the co-author of Voices: 2004-featuring Brandon Victor Dixon, who currently plays Simba in The Lion King-which was commissioned for the Columbia University New Student Orientation Program and covered by the New York Times. Mr. Thomas has been published in Roots and Culture magazine, The Collection, the Columbia Daily Spectator, where he worked as a columnist and Theatre Editor, and the Retriever Weekly, where he served as Editor-in-Chief. The University of Central Florida and the UMBC Provost's Office are jointly sponsoring a workshop for The Spectator in the spring. A 1999 graduate of The Park School, Thomas plans to pursue playwriting in graduate school. THE DIRECTOR The Spectator marks Daniel Student's Baltimore directing debut. A Baltimore native, and graduate of The Park School, Student began directing his senior year in high school. Student received his BA in Film from Vassar College where his stage directing credits included: Naomi in the Living Room, 'Night, Mother, Art, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Hot L Baltimore, which won six Philalatheis awards. In addition, at Vassar and The Park School, Student directed Night Baseball, which inspired wide-spread racial dialogue at both institutions. In Baltimore, Student stage managed and assistant directed The Bald Soprano at Run of the Mill Theater, where he also dramaturged and assistant directed Authenticity. Student also stage managed Missing Phil at Vagabond Players and appeared on stage as Dr. Jim Tennyson in Dr. Cook's Garden at the Greenbelt Arts Center. A former Dramaturgy Intern at Center Stage, Student currently holds the position of Education Assistant at the same institution. PRODUCTION FACTS ·
Playwright R. Eric Thomas and Director Daniel Student both graduated
in 1999 from Baltimore's Park School where they collaborated on
several theatrical productions |