PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER PLAY PREMIERE AT DeLUXE THEATER THIS WEEKEND!

TSU Ollington Smith University Players Alumni

 Shared by efamily member Dianne Jemison Pollard.

National Theatre Luminaires Bring World Premier Play to Houston’s Historic Theater

April 29, 2016

Presidential Timber, a world premier comedy written by TSU’s own, Barbara and Carlton Molette will see its first audiences in Houston’s historic DeLUXE Theater.  This play is a full-length, satirical comedy in which television journalist Josie Jenkins chronicles “campus unrest” at mythological historically Black Pemberton State University. Readings of Presidential Timber were presented at the National Black Theatre Festival, Woodie King’s New Federal Theatre, by Bowie State University at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and New Life Productions in Columbia, South Carolina. Presented by the TSU Ollington Smith Players Alumni Association, the production is directed by TSU alum Timothy Eric and stars Al D. Freeman, TV/Radio personality Larry Don Johnson and veteran actor Byron Jacquet. This production promises to spark thought provoking dialogue about our state-run institutions through the lens of comedy.

This production will be the first theatrical production at the historic DeLUXE Theater in Fifth Ward which was recently the recipient of the Houston Business Journal’s 2016 Landmark Award for Rehabilitation/Renovation and is managed by Texas Southern University.  The performances include a Preview Performance May 12^th at 7:30 PM, Opening Night May 13^th at 8:00 PM, a 2:00 PM matinee followed by an 8:00 PM show May 14^th, and a closing performance on May 15^th at 3:00 PM.  Adult Tickets are $25.  Students Tickets are available for $15 with a valid Student ID.  The proceeds from this production will provide for TSU Ollington Smith Players Scholarships Awards, which are awarded to deserving active University Players in the Theatre Area.

Pre-sale tickets can be purchased online at thedeluxetheater.tix.com.  The DeLUXE Theater is located at 3303 Lyons Avenue, Houston Texas 77020.  For more information, contact: Timothy Dickson dicksonte@tsu.edu | 713-581-4846

ABOUT THE MOLETTES: Barbara and Carlton Molette, 2013 recipients of the National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the Ethel Woolson Award for their new play Legacy, have collaborated on books-Black Theatre: Premise and Presentations, and recently published Afrocentric Theatre-as well as scholarly articles and plays. Members of the Dramatist Guild since 1971, their playwriting collaboration s began with Rosalee Prichett, presented by the Negro Ensemble Company, the Free Southern Theatre, several university theatres, published by Dramatists Play Service and in Black Writers of America.

Mrs. Barbara J. Molette holds a B.A. Florida A. & M. University, M.F.A. Florida State University, and a Ph.D. University of Missouri. She is Professor Emerita, Eastern Connecticut State University. She has taught at Texas Southern University, Spelman College and Baltimore City Community College where she was the Director of Writing Across the Curriculum. She was an administrative fellow for Mid-Missouri Associated Colleges and Universities, Director of Arts-in-Education Programs, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Art and Culture in Baltimore, and English Department Chair at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Mr. Carlton W. Molette holds a B.A. Morehouse College, M.A. University of Iowa, Ph.D. Florida State University. He is Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Arts and African American Studies, University of Connecticut. He taught at Spelman College, Florida A. & M., Howard, Atlanta and Texas Southern Universities; was Division of Fine Arts Chair at Spellman, School of Communications Dean at Texas Southern, Arts and Sciences Dean at Lincoln (MO) University, Academic Affairs Vice President at Coppin State, guest director at the University of Michigan, and seminar leader at the University of Iowa.