Dale Ricardo Shields

 

I, Too, Sing America!

An Original Student Theatrical Production 

DENISON UNIVERSITY

I TOO SING AMERICA!
Denison University
Conceived and Directed by Dale Shields — with Tony Liu, Jaime Weinfeld, Brandon Hummons, Xavier Jesus Vargas, Keith ScootDawg Nolen, Daniel Fiorentini, Lennie Johnson III, Autumn Stiles, Najee Rollins, Quaanzale Thompson, Marlaine Browning, Brandt Gentry, Khari Riley, Sara Blike, Mark Anthony Arceño, Wizzy Dorceus, Jasmine KP, Myky Tran, Keith Mullings Jr., at Denison University.

AboutAbout

It takes just four weeks to make a family—and a play 

I, Too, Sing America!—An Original Student Theatrical Production 
Denison University Published on Oct 13, 2011
Students and Vail guest artist Dale Shields create a family of friends and a fascinating original play in only 28 days.

It takes just four weeks to make a family—and a play Have you ever watched a bird gathering twigs to build a nest in the spring? Or a squirrel hoarding acorns as October’s brilliant colors fade into the gray chill of the approaching winter? Either experience is a lot like seeing Denison’s Visiting Vail Artist Professor Dale Shields assemble nearly two dozen curious students to create an original play and a family of friends over just four short weeks. Shields arrived in Granville during the second week of September, invited by Associate Provost Toni C. King and the Diversity Advisory Committee in the Provost’s Office. Actually, he’s been here before. In 2007, he directed “Fires in the Mirror” at Denison as a Vail guest resident artist and assistant professor of theatre.

This time, in conjunction with the Spectrum Series theme “Migrations,” Shields worked with a group of students, representing a wide range of identities, to discover how to write and perform their own migration narratives of living in America.
In their nightly workshops, they wrote down answers for Shield’s questions like “Who are you? ” “What do you want?” and “What is your objective for being in college?” He took their answers and turned them into lines for the production.

The students listened to one another, found things to laugh about and very quickly became a community of fast friends who were able to share many private feelings with one another. Shields titled the production “I, Too, Sing America!” from a piece written by American poet Langston Hughes.

Opening night, the cast gave two performances at the Black Box Theatre in Burke Recital Hall, with a “talkback” in between, featuring the cast members, Shields, and faculty members Ron Abrams (Art), Linda Krumholz (English), Stafford Berry (Dance), and visiting guest professor of black studies Yvonne Williams from the College of Wooster. A third performance was given the next evening, and all three drew standing ovations from packed audiences.

  • The stage was set with a quilt created by Cindi Turnbull (Theatre). During the first act, the audience heard the lines of Hughes’ poem, as the actors and actresses riveted the crowd with performances that were touching and inspiring. Later, they sang “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway play “Rent” and performed dance routines that rivaled “Chorus Line.” Tong Liu ’14 played “America the Beautiful” on the Erhu, his Chinese two-string fiddle, and was joined by a chorus of voices as audience members were moved to tears. As the student cast members told their own stories of who they were, they passed along their joy in having become part of a new family and community along with their hope that the whole campus will continue the tradition. The whole process only took a month, but it was clear their migration had taken them to a new level.

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    Student members who made “I, Too, Sing America!” possible were: Stage Manager: Kristen Edwards ’15 (Dublin, Ohio), Assistant Director/Music Director: Jaime Weinfeld ’15 (Navarre, Ohio); Cast: Nancy Aguilar ’14 (Chicago), Sara Blike ’15 (North Canton, Ohio), Wiselene Dorceus ’15 (Lynn, Mass.); Daniel Fiorentini ’14 (Inglewood, Calif.), Brandon Hummons ’13 (Chicago, Ill.), Lennon D. Johnson ’14 (Boston, Mass.), Tong Liu ’14 (Chengdu, China), Keith Mullings, Jr., ’13 (Harlem, N.Y.), Keith Nolen ’13 (Boston, Mass.), Jasmine Passa ’15 (Arlington, Va.), Khari Riley ’15 (Chicago, Ill.), Najee Rollins ’15 (Baltimore, Md.); Autumn Stiles ’14 (Jersey City, N.J.), Quaanzale Thompson ’15 (Boston, Mass.), Myky Tran ’14 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), Miwa Tsutsui ’14 (Tokyo, Japan); Xavier J. Vargas ’15 (Chicago, Ill.), Patrick White ’15 (Buffalo, N.Y.), Marquita K. Williams ’14 (Chicago, Ill.); Production Assistants: Baek Du Kim ’13 (Incheon City, South Korea), Assiata Berry ’15 (Boston, Mass.); Costume Deisgners: Niki Feehan ’14 (Bangor, Pa.), Tori Newman ’15 (Willard, Ohio); Program Cover Design: Gina Ezzone ’15 (Painesville, Ohio); Guest Vocal Director: Alexa Dorris ’12 (Indianapolis, Ind.)Tags: Arts, Diversity, Theatre, Vail Series
    Date: October 13, 2011

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ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is a 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award, 2020, 2021, and 2022 ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund and winner of the 2022.

Recently, he won the 2022 Legend Award from his alma mater Ohio University.

He is the 2021 winner of the Paul Robeson Award, presented (jointly) by the Actors Equity Association and the Actors Equity Foundation.

Research Accomplishments:
His extensive professional credits as a Director, Stage manager, and Actor (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional) As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, Guiding Light, The Cosby Show, and the ITV television series "Special Needs" and commercials and film.

Professor Shields is a member of the Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the American Guild of Musical Artists performance unions and an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

He began his artistic academic career in New York City at Playwrights Horizon, The South Bronx Action Theatre, and Mind Builders, and then was invited to join the teaching staff at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival). He represented the United States for Theatre Young Audiences at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England.

He has been a Professor and Visiting Artist at Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Randolph- Macon College, Susquehanna University, and SUNY Potsdam.

He holds B.F.A and M.F.A, Degrees from Ohio University.

Website(s)

Iforcolor.org [Research]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ricardo_Shields [Career]