A gentle children’s book with an apparent hidden message — a black rabbit marries a white rabbit! — stirs the passions of a segregationist State Senator and a no-nonsense State Librarian in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, just as the civil rights movement is flowering. Another story of childhood friends — an African-American man and a white woman, reunited in adulthood in Montgomery that same year — provides private counterpoint to the public events of the play.
“Dynamic! Rich! Impressive! Cleverly crafted! Articulate! Razor-sharp!”
-Salt Lake Tribune
“A real-life controversy about a children’s book from 1959 is the basis for a new play with freshly relevant themes.” - American Theatre
MEET THE ALABAMA STORY CAST AND CREW
Anne McEvoy (Emily Reed) is pleased to finally be back on stage at Ensemble where she's previously appeared in The Gospel According to James by Charles Smith and Miracle and Wonder by Jonathan Wilhelm. Elsewhere, Anne's performed at the Beck Center, Blank Canvas, Cleveland Playhouse, CPT, Convergence Continuum, Dobama, Great Lakes Theatre, Karamu, Mamai, None Too Fragile, and others. A published children's author, Anne feels especially grateful to be part of Alabama Story.
Cody Kilpatrick Steele (Thomas Franklin) is a local actor who has performed on stages throughout Northeast Ohio and in independent films nationwide. Notable theatrical works include: The Tempest (Sebastian) and Romeo & Juliet (Romeo) at the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, and Angels in America (Prior Walter) at Playhouse Square. Most recently he portrayed Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Weathervane Playhouse. In 2016, he took home the award for Best Actor in a Feature Film at the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival for Sincerely, Me. His next film, Viscera, premieres this fall on the East Coast. Cody would like to thank all of you for supporting live theatre and keeping art alive in our community. @ActorCKSteele
Joseph Milan (Senator Higgins) is fresh off a go at Sir Toby Belch in The Bard’s Twelfth Night for Cleve Shakes after spending the winter speaking proto gaelic as Flanagan's mother. You may have last caught him at Ensemble Theatre as “Yank” in Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape, or stampeding the boards at ConCon for Ionesco's Rhinoceros. He is honored to help tell an Alabama Story, a story with important lessons to teach and to keep close in today’s world.
Craig Joseph (Garth Williams) is excited to return to Ensemble this season after last season's appearances in Well and Angels in America. Other favorite acting credits include: Karl / Steve in Clybourne Park, Charles Guiteau in Assassins, Sideway / Collins in Our Country's Good, and Kerr in Chesapeake. Craig's primary theatrical work is as a director; recent credits include The Christians, Bus Stop, The Flick, The Best Man, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Doubt. By day, Craig is a creative freelancer, writing for a variety of clients and curating art exhibits around Ohio. He's also the Artistic Director of Seat of the Pants Productions, next producing Molly Sweeney this November at Weathervane in Akron. Look for more acting and directing this year from Craig at the Canton and Akron symphonies, Dobama, Playwrights Local, and more. Thanks for your support of live theatre.
Eugene Sumlin (Josh Moore) is excited to to be making his Ensemble debut in Alabama Story. Recent credits include: Jesse/ensemble in MINTON’S PLACE (Cleveland Playhouse), Adam/Noah in CHILDREN OF EDEN (French Creek Theatre), Jim Conley in PARADE (French Creek) Ken in AIN’T MISBEHAVIN (Porthouse Theatre), Capt. Scott in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (Dobama Theatre), King Triton in THE LITTLE MERMAID (Mercury Theatre Company), Ken in SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE (Cain Park), Papa Ge in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (Orchard Arts Project), Donkey in SHREK THE MUSICAL (Fine Arts Association and Beachwood Community Theatre). Next, Eugene will be appearing in ELLA ENCHANTED at Dobama Theatre this winter. He will be returning to the Ensemble stage in January for A RAISIN IN THE SUN. He would like to thank God, from whom all blessings flow, and to Nicole, Easton and August, for their love and support.
Adrienne Jones (Lily Whitfield) is delighted to be making her Ensemble Theatre debut. She is a graduate of DePaul University’s Theatre School. While in Chicago, some of her favorite productions were The Rivals, Trust, and The Kid Thing. Since returning to Ohio, her credits include Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Man Who Came to Dinner with Weathervane Playhouse, Scotland Road at Western Reserve Playhouse, and Lend Me A Tenor with Coach House Theatre. She sends a special thank you to her family for their support and love.
