Readings and WorkshopsJelani Alladin, Danielle Deadwyler, Michele Shay, More Are Part of B.J. Tindal's Goodnight, Tyler Benefiting National Black Theatre
The August 27 virtual reading is the inaugural presentation of Alladin's Dumont Millennial Productions company.
Jelani Alladin
Joseph Marzullo/Media Punch
The inaugural presentation of Jelani Alladin's new multimedia production company Dumont Millennial Productions, which aims to amplify the unheard voices of first-generation Americans while exploring new technologies and innovative forms of storytelling, is an August 27 live streamed reading of B.J. Tindal's Goodnight, Tyler.
The reading, which streams on YouTube beginning at 7 PM ET, benefits the National Black Theatre. (The reading is available through August 31.)
Danielle Deadwyler
Kent Gash directs a cast that includes Alladin (Frozen, Hercules), Johanna Braddy (Quantico, Miss Arizona), Danielle Deadwyler (P-Valley, Watchmen), Jack Quaid (The Boys, The Hunger Games), Alex Gibson (Octet, SpongeBob SquarePants), and Tony nominee Michele Shay (A Raisin in the Sun, Seven Guitars). Neville Braithwaithe serves as technical director, with sound design by David Lamont Wilson and stage management from Kayla Coleman.
Goodnight, Tyler is the ghost-love story of Tyler Evans, a Black boy who wants to be remembered for who he was rather than how he died. After urging his best friend to “protect his legacy” from beyond the grave, Tyler loses control over the narrative of his life. As his loved ones quibble over their placement in his life, Tyler comes face to face with the reality of whose grief matters and whose lives matter most.
In an earlier statement Alladin said, “Growing up, my house on Dumont Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn, was the most visited spot on the block. Due to my mother’s connection to the community, many people—old, young, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight, and more—passed through our door, servicing those in need. Whether it be food, love, a prayer, or a laugh, visitors found what they were looking for in this place of refuge and fellowship. As a kid, whenever we had company, I would sit on the stairs, close my eyes, and listen in, letting my imagination bring to life the stories I was spying on. Stories of overcoming adversity, pursuing the American dream, chasing love, celebrating triumphs, reckoning with the millennial world, and pioneering new efforts. Stories that in other places were considered taboo or difficult to discuss, but in this home, were told in full truth, embraced, and uplifted.
"Dumont Millennial Productions' goal is to put these stories in motion through development of new plays, musicals, concerts, television, and film productions—all of which highlight millennial protagonists and the truth of their experiences—giving visibility to these peculiar stories that have the potential to inspire a more empathetic, equitable, and inclusive human experience for all those who choose to listen.”
Explore Roosevelt Island With Hercules’ Jelani Alladin
Explore Roosevelt Island With Hercules’ Jelani Alladin
11 PHOTOS
For Hercules’ Jelani Alladin, the spirit of exploration summer brings allows the actor to revisit some of his favorite childhood adventures, such as Roosevelt Island. “Growing up in Brooklyn, my mom would take us on excursions to rare places in New York that people don’t often venture to,” Alladin recalls.
Marc J. Franklin
Located in the middle of the East River, Roosevelt Island is more than just a piece of land between Manhattan and Queens to Alladin. “It’s a little slice of heaven,” he laughs.
Marc J. Franklin
Jelani Alladin
Marc J. Franklin
“If you stand anywhere on this island, you can see Manhattan around you. As a kid, everything just seems bigger. [The fact that] Manhattan is an island with millions of people who have different stories and different lives doesn’t hit you until you step away and look at it. We’re not too far away but we’re just far enough where you can stand and be like ‘Whoa, holy moly, that’s a big island.”
Marc J. Franklin
For Alladin, summer means more than just revisiting childhood destinations; it’s about getting out and seeing New York City at large. “You've got to make time for yourself. Get out of your apartment, get out of an enclosed area, and enjoy the open air. Explore things that are outside of your norm. Take the dare. Take the leap in general. Stop playing it safe and start living a little more!”
Marc J. Franklin
“Spring is the rebirth. Then in summer you get to just relish in it and revel in that sort of wonder. Summer in the city reminds me that anything is possible.”
Marc J. Franklin
Jelani Alladin
Marc J. Franklin
For Alladin, who recently began rehearsals for the Public Works production of Hercules, that same sense of wonder infiltrates his creative process. “My mind feels freer in the summer. I’m like ‘Oh, I’m just going to take a walk outside and learn this scene or sing this song to myself.’ And everyone is in a better mood naturally when they have sunlight in their lives, so I think the creative team as well as the other actors are more game to [explore and say], ‘let’s just jump.’”
Marc J. Franklin
Sitting in the park in Roosevelt island, Alladin reflects on his journey to Hercules, especially in a production that will feature over 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs. “My life has been made of people giving back to me with no guarantee that something would come back to them. I think the Public Theater does that for New York City. [The performers] are the people of New York City; they live in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens—those are my people. To be in a room with people who are just there because they love to create and it’s a passion of theirs… it’s emotional for me because I am one of them.”
Marc J. Franklin