Photo Flash: Dominique Morisseau Visits The Drama Book Shop

The Drama Book Shop was thrilled to host a discussion and signing with award winning playwright Dominique Morisseau on Monday, May 7th. Moderating the discussion was actor, director, and executive assistant to Ms. Morisseau, Stori Ayers.

Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit '67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie's (Premiere Stages). Dominique is an alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer's Group, Women's Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eugene O'Neil Playwrights Conference. Her work has been commissioned by Steppenwolf Theater, Women's Project, South Coast Rep, People's Light and Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/Penumbra Theatre. She most recently served as Co - Producer on the Showtime series "Shameless." Following its record breaking run at Berkeley Repertory Theatre last summer, her new musical Ain't Too Proud -The Life and Times of The Temptations, is set to open at The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), The Ahmanson (Los Angeles), and The Princess of Whales Theater (Toronto) this season. Awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky - Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, and being named one of Variety's Women of Impact for 2017 - 18.

Stori Ayers is a New York--based ? actress and director originally from Washington, DC . She has ? a passion for work that challenge social norms?, ?create conversations in the community?, and ?ignite ?with?in ?her generation a spirit of activism. Stori? is an original cast member and producer? of Dominique Morisseau's Blood at the Root, winner of the Graham F. Smith Peace Foundation Prize for its promotion of human rights. ?Other acting credits include?:? A Raisin in the Sun (Indiana Repertory Theatre & Syracuse Stage); Foster Mom (Premiere Stages); Detroit '67 (Chautauqua Theater Company)?; ?Barbecue (Pennsylvania Centre Stage); ? Jitney (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Yellowman (Anacostia Playhouse); Blood at the Root (?National Black Theatre, Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Grahamstown Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival?)? ; Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts 1, 2 and 3 (?Round House Theatre)?; Doubt;? Love's Labours Lost; In the Red and Brown Water ?(??Pennsylvania ?Centre Stage?)?; An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein; Voodoo, Sex, & Magic (?Horizon Theatre)?. As a director, Stori assistant directed the world premiere of August Wilson's one-man show,? "How I Learned What I Learned?,?" at the Signature Theatre in New York City staring Ruben Santiago-Hudson?. Other d irecting credits include: ???Blood at the Root (University of Michigan); Single Black Female ( ?Penn State School of Theatre )?;? Hip Hoperella?;? Here I Go, Boys. Wish Me Luck?;? Fires In the Mirror (?Fletcher Collins Theatre);? You Can't Take It With You (Waynesboro High School). Stori is a proud member of Actors' Equity and holds a B.A. from Mary Baldwin College and an MFA in Acting from Penn State University. She works as the Executive Assistant to writer Dominique Morisseau and Katori Hall, and will next be seen as the 2018 Directing Fellow at Chautauqua Theater Company.

Dominique Morisseau will be hosting a free pre-show discussion at the Signature Theatre with director Ruben Santiago-Hudson on Wednesday, May 9 at 6:30pm.