“CHANGES,” a play written by junior musical theater major Tyler Lang, will be showcased in New York City this spring.
The play is about Huey, a recent high school graduate who is anxiously waiting for a college acceptance as his neighborhood challenges his safety and sense of home. Huey navigates the pressures of growing up with his friends Leah and Isaiah.
Inspired by the murder of George Floyd, Lang felt a sense of hopelessness as a high school senior about to step into the real world. He explained that the spoken word at the end of the play stemmed from the death of Floyd.
“And that’s all I had at firsthand then I evolved it into a short story and then a play from there,” Lang said.
To a packed audience, the cast and crew performed a staged reading in Douglas Hall in April. After almost a year in the works, the show is making its way from Douglas Hall to The Tank in New York.
The opportunity to perform in New York came about when someone reached out to The Tank. Johnny Lloyd, the director of artistic development, loved the script and wanted the show to run from March 22 to March 24.
Currently, the cast and crew are fundraising to afford their stay in New York from March 20 to the 25. The funds will also contribute to the set and props needed for the play.
“As far as the fundraising has been, it’s been growing steadily. We’re still trying to get there. We have a bit of ways to go, but I think people have been seeing how committed we are,” Lang said.
Going to New York is very important to Lang as a multihyphenate artist.
“I want to create not only plays, but also TV shows and movies, and also act in those TV shows and movies, and just show people that the sky is the limit,” Lang said.
Jadyn Fife, a sophomore acting major from Richmond, Virginia, plays Leah Robinson, an artistic 18-year-old who is intelligent and desires to attend art school.
“I want people to understand the humanity in this character,” Fife said. “How coming of age comes with decisions, consequences, challenges, and changes.”
The opportunity to audition came about after Lang told Fife about “CHANGES,” describing it as one of his passion projects. She auditioned and was elated to be cast in the show.
“Going to New York to do this show is an investment in my future…I’m honored that this is the first show that I get to do there because after this, I know it won’t be my last,” Fife said.
Kaci Wall, a sophomore acting major, is the production manager and assistant stage manager for the show. She was originally the production manager for the staged reading.
“Tyler then reached out to me in October to see if I would like to help out again and now I have the opportunity to work as the assistant stage manager in this beautiful production,” Wall said.
As the assistant stage manager and the production manager, she carries out important tasks inside and outside of rehearsals.
Wall emphasizes how going to New York provides them with “the chance to get that exposure early.”
She shares how the show is a chance for Howard University students to showcase their talent.
“It’s a blessing to have been recognized for a showing in New York, so the only thing we can do is show up and show out,” Wall said.
Copy edited by D’Nyah Jefferson – Philmore
