Detroit Public Theatre Announces Cast for "Confederates", Directed by Detroit Native, Goldie Patrick
- Encore Staff Writer
- Feb 6
- 5 min read
Dominique Morisseau’s acclaimed play kicks off 2025 at home featuring local cast during DPT’s 10th Anniversary Season.
Performances Begin with two Pick Your Price Previews on Thursday and Friday, February 6-7, and Run Through Sunday, March 16
Detroit Public Theatre (DPT) is thrilled to announce the cast for CONFEDERATES, by DPT Executive Artistic Producer, MacArthur Genius award-winning, Tony nominated, Daughter of Detroit, Dominique Morisseau. This searing and acclaimed play leaps back and forth in time to hold an unyielding lens to the racism and gender biases that plague America's institutions to this day. Revolution is the bond between two Black women living in America 160 years apart - Sara, an enslaved woman preparing herself to fight for the Union during the Civil War, and Sandra, a political science professor at an esteemed university fighting institutional racism. Performances begin with two Pick Your Price Previews on Thursday, February 6 at 7pm and Friday, February 7 at 8pm, and run through Sunday, March 16. The production officially opens on Saturday, February 8 at 8pm
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“As a professor and theater-maker, this play has a special place in my heart”, says the play’s Director, Goldie Patrick. Patrick continues, “As a native Detroiter, for me, Detroit has always been associated with Freedom. From downtown and Northend churches that served as stops on the Underground Railroad, to rich history in museums, to studying pioneers who made liberation their purpose; Detroit, is a freedom land. This is why I am so honored to have the opportunity to tell this gorgeous story of freedom, written by fellow Detroiter, Dominique Morrisueau. This hilarious play, Confederates is ours, all of ours. It’s the story of how we are woven into each other’s history whether we were kin, allies, or beneficiaries of institutions. Our freedoms are tied together. Both Sandra and Sandra are willing to risk everything for freedom. A freedom that neither of them knows personally yet, but still both equally believe in deeply. Bringing this story home is an opportunity to ask the artists involved, the audience and the greater community, what are you willing to do…give up even…to ensure freedom and justice for all?”
The cast of CONFEDERATES includes Whitney Johnson, Vanessa Mazhangara, Rebecca Rose Mims, Meredith Parker, and Will Street
The production will include scenic and props design by Monika Essen, lighting design by John Alexander, sound design by Lumumba Leon Renyolds II, costume design by Shelby Newport, Make-up and wig design by Cornell Jermaine, projections design by Jeromy Hopgood, and Intimacy Coordination by Monica Williams. Siena Yusi is the production stage manager. Jwymon Williams is the Assistant Stage Manager. Jesse Boyd Williams Assistant Directs.
DPT’s 10th Season began with James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize winning, FAT HAM, followed by the joyful, surprising, irreverent, and moving DPT Holiday Cabaret for the 2nd year in a row. CONFEDERATES is kicking off the second half of the season before community performances of Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit ‘67 tours the area this spring. Season 10 will close with the world premiere of SOFT TARGET by Emily Kaczmarek. This stunning new work about childhood, guns, and all the wounds we cannot see explores the impact of gun violence on communities, families, and children, opening space for brave, and caring dialogue. .
BIOS:
GOLDIE E. PATRICK (Director) is a Detroit native and proud alumna of Howard University where she is currently a professor of hip hop theatre. Based in New York City, for over 20 years she has passionately worked in and built artistic collaborations in Black theatre as a playwright, director, and producer. Her approach to theatre-making lives at the intersection of her work as an artist, cultural worker, and educator. She is the former founding Executive Director of FRESHH Inc Theatre company for Black womxn and girls. Goldie is also a member of the Culture Caucus at the Kennedy Center and currently the inaugural Black Creation Playwright in residence at The New Federal Theatre. Directing credits include By Me You’ll Never Know (2024),The 24 Hour Plays: Hoboken (2024), No Different than Cotton or Cobalt (2024), Fire This Time (2024), Project 892 (New York University–MFA program), The Halal Brothers (Columbia University) Foriwa, (Hedgepig Ensemble & Classical Theatre of Harlem) Paradise Blue, (Detroit Public Theatre) HERstory Love Forever Hip Hop (John F Kennedy Center) Associate Director credits include: Between the World and Me (Apollo Theatre) By the way Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theatre).
WHITNEY JOHNSON (Sandra) is an actor, writer, and producer from Detroit. After earning a PR degree from Morgan State where she was a D1 shooting guard, Theatre Morgan student and performer, she trained withThe Scott Acting Conservatory in New York as well as with Roz Coleman, working Off-Broadway, and in Film, TV, and Scripted Audio in addition to developing her own projects. Whitney is thrilled to be joining DPT in this powerful and timely work.
VANESSA MAZHANGARA (Jade / Luane) is a Zimbabwean-American actress from Lansing, MI, and is truly honored to make her debut in DPT’s 10th season, portraying Luanne and Jade. A graduate of the Atlantic Acting Conservatory, Vanessa’s artistic journey is centered on exploring the nuanced and powerful narratives of Black women from the diaspora, across film, stage, and television. She was last seen on stage as ‘Undine’ in Fabulation or the Reeducation of Undine.
REBECCA ROSE MIMS (Sarah) is overjoyed to be a part of the Detroit Public Theatre’s 2024 - 2025 season. Rose's thespian history started around the corner at Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit, and most recently, Rose acted in Grand Horizons (Jess) at the Tipping Point Theatre. Some of her other theatrical credits include: Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Miranda (The Tempest), Emilia (Othello), Intimate Apparel (Esther U/S), Taylor (Stick Fly), and Elinor (Sense and Sensibility). Rose is a proud Detroiter and is very humbled to be bringing her artistry home.
MEREDITH PARKER (Missy Sue / Candice) is making her DPT debut. Parker is a proud associate artist at Flint Repertory Theatre, where she previously appeared in The Glass Menagerie, The Wolves, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Into The Woods, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, New Works Festivals’s Quiver, Funny Like Haha, Legacy and the Flint Mural Plays. Parker has been seen on several stages throughout southeast Michigan- most recently in Tipping Point Theatre’s Little Women.
WILL STREET (Malik/Abner) is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist from the greatest city on earth—Detroit, Michigan. He’s mostly been seen at his artistic birthplace, Detroit Repertory Theatre, where he won a Wilde Award for his work as Booth in Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks.
TICKET INFORMATION
As DPT looks forward to the next decade, they remain committed to contributing to the vibrant Detroit arts community – making theatre accessible to all, and engaging audiences with bold, relevant, thrilling, thought-provoking productions. Single tickets are $49. To ensure maximum accessibility, in addition to regularly scheduled pick-your-price performances with tickets as low as $5, a limited number of $25 “rush” tickets are available at the door two hours prior to each performance. All Thursday performances during Season 10 will have a ticket price of $25.
Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at www.detroitpublictheatre.org or by calling 313-974-7918.
ABOUT DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE
Detroit Public Theatre produces nationally recognized plays and programs with world-class writers, directors, actors and designers in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district. We create bold, relevant work that illuminates the thrills, joys and challenges of our shared humanity. For more information about Detroit Public Theatre and its productions and programs, or to purchase tickets visit www.detroitpublictheatre.org or call (313) 974-7918