IN OUR OWN WORDS

Short plays taking on big themes of love, relationships, memory, discovery, truth, and so much more.
Join us for an amazing virtual evening of theatre, celebrating these amazing stories, and these amazing artists!

Total show run time : Approximately 30 minutes.

Content Advisory: These productions contain adult language and some descriptions of violence.

DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU (Playwright, NIGHT VISION) 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). She is also the TONY nominated book writer on the new Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). Dominique is 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. She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless” (3 seasons). Additional 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 (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow..

INDIA NICOLE BURTON (Playwright, TRADE FLOWERS FOR SALT) is an actress, director, playwright, devisor and producer. She is a native of Akron, OH and graduated from The University of Akron in 2011 with a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on performance. Upon graduating, India founded Ma’Sue Productions, an African American theatre company located in Akron, Ohio. She has directed, produced, and performed in several of Ma’Sue’s plays and was co-artistic director until 2015. India recently ended a virtual national tour of American Dreams by Leila Buck in 2020, where she played the role of Briana Coffman. She originated this character when it had its world premiere at Cleveland Public Theatre in 2018. India’s directing credits include for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf (Heads Up Productions), The Laramie Project (Heads Up Productions), Daybreak’s Children (Ma’Sue Productions), A Happening on Imperial (Ma’Sue Productions) Fire on the Water (Cleveland Public Theatre, co-directed; Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation (in development at Cleveland Public Theatre), “inside out” by Francisca Da Silveira (Company One, as part of their C1: Inauguration project) Welcome to the Taj Mahal ( Motel) By Riti Sachdeva, The Playwrights Center ( Workshop). India’s assistant directing credits include the 2014 production of The Color Purple at Karamu House, A brownsville song (b-side for tray) at Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre’s Barbecue and Good at Heart, featured in BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival. India is a board member for New World Performance Lab, a two-year recipient of the NNPN Producer in Residence program for Cleveland Public Theatre and a 2021 recipient of the NNPN Bridge Program grant. She was also a cast member of American Dreams, which was nominated for a Drama League Award in 2021. India is currently receiving her MFA in playwriting from The University of Nebraska’s Creative writing program. She is also the recipient of The National New Play Networks Rolling World Premiere for her play Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation.

NATHAN HENRY (Director, NIGHT VISION) is the recipient of the 2018 Cleveland Scene Theatre Award for Best Director for Karamu House’s critically acclaimed production of Passing Strange. He directed the Cleveland Public Theatre production of Ya Mama!, written and performed by Nina Domingue, which appeared at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Nathan recently directed James Ijames' Kill Move Paradise at Dobama Theatre, Idris Goodwin’s Jacked! at Cleveland Play House, as well as the world premiere of White Man’s Burden, a collaboration with Beck Center for the Arts, Baldwin-Wallace University Music Theatre Program, and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. He has worked in professional theatre as a producer, director, choreographer, educator and arts administrator for over 20 years. Select regional credits for directing include: Nina Domingue’s Sundiata, Douglas Turner Ward’s Day of Absence, Eric Coble’s The Velocity of Autumn, Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West, Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman, August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, and Lee Summers’ From My Hometown. He also served as Line Producer for the regional premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s The Lake Effect, a co-production between Ensemble Theatre and Karamu House.

JEANNINE GASKIN (Director, TRADE FLOWERS FOR SALT) is a Cleveland based actress and director. Her directorial work was last seen in “Until the Flood” by Dael Orlandersmith at Malone University where she co-directed with Craig Joseph. She had her directorial debut at Baldwin Wallace University in “Devised Blues: Uncut & Funky” and she was the Assistant Director here at Ensemble Theatre for Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparel”. She was last seen on stage at the Belkin Black Box Theater in Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf”. She also performed at Cleveland Public Theatre in the world premiere of Lisa Langford's "Rastus and Hattie" as well as the world premiere of Central Concern written by Pandora Robertson. Previous Karamu performances include “Day of Absence” by Douglas Turner Ward and "You Can't Take It With You" by George Kaufman. She was seen at Convergence Continuum as Hester La Negrita in “In the Blood” by Suzan-Lori Parks. Other plays include the unconventional comedy “Neighbors” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Margaret Alexander in “The Amen Corner” by James Baldwin; both shows directed by Terrence Spivey. Film credits include a principal role in the Lifetime film "With This Ring", lead role in the 2016 48hr Film Festival Award Winning short film "A Sweet Christmas" and lead role in a local film "Milkweed" written by John Dayo-Aliya.

NICOLE SUMLIN* (Co-Producer, Ayanna in NIGHT VISION) is an actor, singer, director, writer, producer and arts educator. In 2019, she was awarded Best Actress in a Musical by the Cleveland Critics Circle for her performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grille at Beck Center for the Performing Arts. New York City performances include: Medusa (Medusa), Zu (Project Tiresias), Judge Jill Joyce (How to Be a Winner), and Columbiner (ReB+VoDkA+ Me). Regional performances include: Breakout Session (or Frogorse) at Cleveland Public Theatre (Jessica Moore): Rastus and Hattie, also at CPT; (Needra); A Raisin in the Sun at Ensemble Theatre (Ruth Younger); Treasure Island at Ohio Shakespeare Festival (Long John Silver), Memphis at Cain Park (Felicia); Children of Eden at French Creek Theatre (Eve/Mama Noah); The Music Man at Cain Park (Marian Paroo); Caroline or Change at Tantrum Theater (The Washing Machine); Minton’s Place at Cleveland Play House (Jennifer/Ensemble); Lines in the Dust at CPT (DenitraMorgan); Bourbon at the Border at The Maltz Museum (May); Songs for the Asking at Playhouse Square (Vocalist/Co-Creator); Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play at CPT (Jenny/Bart); Violet at Lakeland Civic Theatre (Lula Buffington); and A Civil War Christmas at Dobama Theatre (Elizabeth Keckley). Her cabaret show, Sing It All, debuted at The Bop Stop in 2018. She and her husband Eugene created Beauty for Ashes, a project celebrating several multiple generations of their families, debuted at CPT’s Station Hope in 2016 and was remounted at Station Hope 2020. She has also been seen at The Fine Arts Association, Orchard Arts Project, Near West Theatre, Mercury Theatre Company, MOCA-CLE, Nighttown, and Severance Hall. She is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL), and received her vocal training at Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. She currently serves as Education Director at Cleveland Public Theatre. (*Denotes member of the Actor’s Equity Association.)

EUGENE SUMLIN* (Ezra, NIGHT VISION) is excited to be working with Ensemble Theatre again. Credits include: Conjurer/Servant in THE ADVENTURES OF A BLACK GIRL IN SEARCH OF GOD (Borderlight Fringe Festival/Karamu House), Coalhouse Walker Jr. in RAGTIME (Cain Park), Walter Lee in A RAISIN IN THE SUN (Ensemble Theatre), Sir Peter in ELLA ENCHANTED (Dobama Theatre), Joshua Moore in ALABAMA STORY (Ensemble Theatre), Jesse/ensemble in MINTON’S PLACE (Cleveland Play House), Adam/Noah in CHILDREN OF EDEN (French Creek Theatre), Jim Conley in PARADE (French Creek) Ken in AIN’T MISBEHAVIN (Porthouse Theatre), King Triton in THE LITTLE MERMAID (Mercury Theatre Company), Flick in VIOLET (Lakeland Civic Theatre), Ken in SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE (Cain Park), Donkey in SHREK THE MUSICAL (Fine Arts Association and Beachwood Community Theatre). Eugene is also a resident director at Heights Youth Theatre and this past season, he directed productions at Baldwin Wallace University and Cleveland State University. He would like to thank God, from whom all blessings flow, and to Nicole, Easton and August, for their endless love and support. *(Denotes Member of Actors Equity Association)

CORLESIA SMITH (Lola, TRADE FLOWERS FOR SALT) was born in Mississippi, has lived around the country, but calls Cleveland home. You may have recently seen her as Camae in Karamu House’s production of The Mountaintop and Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed as Della. Notable credits include Amina (Alternate) in Dance Nation at Dobama Theatre, Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel with Mercury Theatre Company, Elizabeth in In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at Case Western University, Nina 2 in Simply Simone and Sherry/Renata/Desi in Passing Strange at Karamu House.

MAYA JONES (Denver, TRADE FLOWERS FOR SALT) is an actor, writer, activist hailing from the Cleveland area. She is excited to work with Ensemble again where she was last seen in Lisa Kron's Well and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad. She has also worked locally with Dobama (An Octoroon), Karamu (For Colored Girls…, Aida, Dreamgirls, Gods Trombones), and Cleveland Public Theatre (Control Her, How Blood Go, Red Ash Mosaic). Her time as an actor since graduating Allegheny College has been a tidal wave of learning and growing. She thanks you for supporting theatre in such times.

Becca Moseley (Stage Manager) Becca is excited to be back (virtually!) for another Ensemble production. She has served as the Resident Production Stage Manager/Assistant stage manager for many Ensemble shows, including both parts of Angels in America, Radio Golf, The Penelopiad, Intimate Apparel, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, the Iceman Cometh, Knock Me A Kiss, Anna Christie, Thurgood, Death of a Salesman, and Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. She co-directed Run, Kingsbury, Run and recently Assistant Directed East of Eden. She was onstage in past seasons at Ensemble as a chorus leader/puppeteer in Around the World in 80 Days, Pea in Jerusalem, the Childlike Empress/company in The Never Ending Story, The Phantom Tollbooth (Princess Rhyme/Ensemble,) and as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Other favorite credits not at Ensemble include Rosalind (As You Like It), Fabiana Cunningham (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot), Dorine (Tartuffe), Maggie (A Chorus Line), and Ophelia (The Horatio Project). She thanks Ian and Celeste for building and nurturing a theatre that provides a constant supply of great scripts and people to bring them to life, her family for their love and support, and her husband Kyle for always believing in the magic.