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During the fall of 2022, The Public Theater mounted an American classic, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun directed by Tony Award nominee, Robert O’Hara and featuring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins as Lena Younger. In our second full episode this season, Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director, Innovation and New Media, sits down with Joi Gresham, Director and Trustee of the Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust and Robert O’Hara, to discuss Lorraine, ghosts, and the pressure of fighting the box this play, and subsequently its beloved writer, have been put into, reminding us that Black people are not a monolith.
Each full episode of Public Square 2.0, will continue to guide you through a behind the scenes look as we connect with artists and staff. Welcome home to Public Square—we’re so happy to have you back! Catch Full or Bonus Audio-Only Episodes bi-weekly on Thursdays and Video Episodes that same week on Friday.
Hosted by Garlia Cornelia Jones
Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media
Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions
Associate Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate
Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio
Show Notes:
Robert and Joi discussed Robert’s 2019 Williamstown Production
Photo Credits:
Public Theater building photo by Aislinn Wiedele
A Raisin in the Sun photos by Joan Marcus
Music Credits:
“Latte” By Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io
“This is the Life” By Yuval Maayan, Artlist.io
“Manyatta” By Hans Johnson, Artlist.io
“Northern Glory” By The SoundKeeper, Artlist.io
"Strip It Down” By Falconer, Artlist.io
“Beatrix” By Notize, Artlist.io
Transcript by 3Play
Robert O'Hara
Director of A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Robert O'Hara is the Tonynominated director of Slave Play and is currently working on several film, television and theatre projects. He’s a two-time Obie Award and two-time NAACP Award winner whose work has been seen around the country. SDC, WGA.
Joi Gresham
Director and Trustee of Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust
Joi Gresham is Literary Trustee to the Estate of Lorraine Hansberry. She is the daughter of the late Jewell Handy Gresham-Nemiroff and the late Robert Nemiroff, Hansberry's former literary executor. As Literary Trustee, she oversees the multi-media licensing of Hansberry's works and other intellectual properties, is a consulting producer for stage productions in the US and abroad and serves as editor for print editions of Hansberry's writings. Gresham was Associate Producer of the 2014 TONY Award-winning Broadway revival of A RAISIN IN THE SUN starring Denzel Washington. She was a Consulting Producer with The Oregon Shakespeare Festival for a 2014 restoration production of THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW. In 2016, Gresham was a Script Consultant for the Goodman Theatre’s production of THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW, and for the National Theatre’s production of LES BLANCS in London. Her career spans thirty years as a performing artist, choreographer and college professor in the arts, education, and African American studies.
Garlia Cornelia Jones
Executive Producer/Host
Garlia is a writer, producer, photographer and mother from Detroit, MI. In 2008, Garlia founded Blackboard Plays, a monthly series devoted to Black Playwrights. She is one of the founding producers of Harlem9, OBIE Award winners for, “48Hours in…™Harlem”. Her Essays and articles have appeared in "The New York Times", "The Washington Post”, "Salon.com" and “American Theatre”. Her work as a playwright has been supported by the cell, The Fire This Time Festival and #24viralmonologues. She was a guest artist at Wayne State University 2020-2021, where she also taught a Playwrighting Workshop for MFA Actors. She worked on an MA in African American and African Diaspora studies at Indiana University before coming to New York for her MFA in Playwrighting which she earned at The New School for Drama. Garlia is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. She is the Producing Director of PAAL, where she also received one of their first childcare grants in 2019. Finally, Garlia was a Line Producer at The Public Theater, working on: “Socrates”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, (filmed for Great Performances on PBS), “Mojada”, “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enough, “Coal Country”, “The Visitor”. She was also the Line Producer for Mobile Unit’s Summer of Joy, Shakespeare: Call and Response - August 2021. Garlia was the Co-Creative Producer of #ToBeBlack, released on Juneteenth 2020 and Co-Producer of “Forward Together” a Virtual event, in support of The Public. During the Fall of 2020, Garlia was the co-developer and Curator of the #Saytheirnames projection installation. In April 2022, Garlia was promoted to the first ever Director of Innovation and New Media at The Public. Outside of New York, Garlia is the Senior Creative Producer for the Obsidian Theatre Festival in Detroit, MI. Finally, she is the Executive Producer of the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (#BMPFest), a festival focused on the stories of Black families from Black artists with families. #BMPFest just completed its 2nd year!
John Sloan III
Creative Producer/Video Editor/Co-Story Writer
is a Detroit based arts professional and community organizer. Sloan is the lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Detroit, and Director of Operations, The Detroit Safety Team. BFA, Musical Theatre Performance, The University of Michigan. Sloan spent over fourteen years working in New York, LA, several regional theatres, and on the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King. He is the Founding CEO/Artistic Director of GhostLight Creative Productions, and Producing Artistic Director of The Obsidian Theatre Festival, a Detroit based festival focusing on Black stories, now in its 3rd year. He serves as the Film Producer for the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival. Recent Composer and Lyricist credits include Hastings Street and #24viralmonologues. Recent Director Credits: Gem of the Ocean, Detroit Repertory Theatre., Passing Strange, Detroit Public Theatre and Flint Rep, New Works Festival 2023.
Justin K. Sloan
Audio Producer
(don't forget the K.) is a Brooklyn based Post Audio Mixer & Sound Designer with over a decade of experience in multiple formats. Originally from Metro Detroit & with a background in music recording, video editing, and producing, he understands the full post-production process and works to create high quality mixes that enhance and guide the visual content. Some recent work includes, The Obsidian Theatre Festival (2022), Turning Tables w/ Robin Roberts (S2, Disney+), Firebrand ('23 Short Film), PublicSquare2.0 Podcast ('23 The Public Theater NYC) www.JustinKSloan.com
Emily White
Assistant Producer
is currently the Editorial Manager at New York City Center. New work dramaturgy: Coal Country (The Public Theater); Little Black Book; White Rose: the Musical; Poupelle of Chimney Town the Musical; Van Gogh; etc. Production dramaturgy: Pippin (Reagle Music Theatre), HAIR (New Rep); Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lyric Stage); In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theater); Cabaret, Barnum, The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions); The Roaring Girl (Theater Row); NOMI (Theater on Fire). Her writing is published on HowlRound Theatre Commons. Member, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Awards: LMDA/KCACTF Dramaturgy Regional and Program Note Awards. BA, Emerson College.
Garlia Cornelia Jones
Executive Producer/Host
Garlia is a writer, producer, photographer and mother from Detroit, MI. In 2008, Garlia founded Blackboard Plays, a monthly series devoted to Black Playwrights. She is one of the founding producers of Harlem9, OBIE Award winners for, “48Hours in…™Harlem”. Her Essays and articles have appeared in "The New York Times", "The Washington Post”, "Salon.com" and “American Theatre”. Her work as a playwright has been supported by the cell, The Fire This Time Festival and #24viralmonologues. She was a guest artist at Wayne State University 2020-2021, where she also taught a Playwrighting Workshop for MFA Actors. She worked on an MA in African American and African Diaspora studies at Indiana University before coming to New York for her MFA in Playwrighting which she earned at The New School for Drama. Garlia is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. She is the Producing Director of PAAL, where she also received one of their first childcare grants in 2019. Finally, Garlia was a Line Producer at The Public Theater, working on: “Socrates”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, (filmed for Great Performances on PBS), “Mojada”, “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enough, “Coal Country”, “The Visitor”. She was also the Line Producer for Mobile Unit’s Summer of Joy, Shakespeare: Call and Response - August 2021. Garlia was the Co-Creative Producer of #ToBeBlack, released on Juneteenth 2020 and Co-Producer of “Forward Together” a Virtual event, in support of The Public. During the Fall of 2020, Garlia was the co-developer and Curator of the #Saytheirnames projection installation. In April 2022, Garlia was promoted to the first ever Director of Innovation and New Media at The Public. Outside of New York, Garlia is the Senior Creative Producer for the Obsidian Theatre Festival in Detroit, MI. Finally, she is the Executive Producer of the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (#BMPFest), a festival focused on the stories of Black families from Black artists with families. #BMPFest just completed its 2nd year!
John Sloan III
Creative Producer/Video Editor/Co-Story Writer
is a Detroit based arts professional and community organizer. Sloan is the lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Detroit, and Director of Operations, The Detroit Safety Team. BFA, Musical Theatre Performance, The University of Michigan. Sloan spent over fourteen years working in New York, LA, several regional theatres, and on the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King. He is the Founding CEO/Artistic Director of GhostLight Creative Productions, and Producing Artistic Director of The Obsidian Theatre Festival, a Detroit based festival focusing on Black stories, now in its 3rd year. He serves as the Film Producer for the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival. Recent Composer and Lyricist credits include Hastings Street and #24viralmonologues. Recent Director Credits: Gem of the Ocean, Detroit Repertory Theatre., Passing Strange, Detroit Public Theatre and Flint Rep, New Works Festival 2023.
Justin K. Sloan
Audio Producer
(don't forget the K.) is a Brooklyn based Post Audio Mixer & Sound Designer with over a decade of experience in multiple formats. Originally from Metro Detroit & with a background in music recording, video editing, and producing, he understands the full post-production process and works to create high quality mixes that enhance and guide the visual content. Some recent work includes, The Obsidian Theatre Festival (2022), Turning Tables w/ Robin Roberts (S2, Disney+), Firebrand ('23 Short Film), PublicSquare2.0 Podcast ('23 The Public Theater NYC) www.JustinKSloan.com
Emily White
Assistant Producer
is currently the Editorial Manager at New York City Center. New work dramaturgy: Coal Country (The Public Theater); Little Black Book; White Rose: the Musical; Poupelle of Chimney Town the Musical; Van Gogh; etc. Production dramaturgy: Pippin (Reagle Music Theatre), HAIR (New Rep); Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lyric Stage); In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theater); Cabaret, Barnum, The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions); The Roaring Girl (Theater Row); NOMI (Theater on Fire). Her writing is published on HowlRound Theatre Commons. Member, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Awards: LMDA/KCACTF Dramaturgy Regional and Program Note Awards. BA, Emerson College.