Tyra Hazziez
lady in brown/green 

Nya Warner
lady in purple

Sania Henry
lady in blue

Jaylin Turner
lady in red 

Haley Johnson
lady in yellow

Serenity Deida
lady in orange/green

Irismichelle Martinez-Garcia
chorus 

I’Yanna Miller
chorus 

Aja Sanders
chorus 

Naija Sherwood
chorus

Tyra Hazziez

lady in brown/green

Tyra Hazziez (she/her) is a graduating senior in the B.A. theatre studies program, making her NIU theatre debut as lady in brown and lady in green. She first encountered for colored girls… in a directing course, and it has lived in her heart ever since. Stepping into this production is more than a role for Tyra—it is a full-circle moment and a chance to honor the voices, resilience, and beauty of the colored woman. Outside of acting, she is the founder of What’s Tea Productions, where she creates original work as a director, choreographer, producer, and writer. Tyra is deeply grateful to share this story and hopes it resonates with others as profoundly as it has with her. 

Nya Warner

lady in purple

Nya Warner (she/her) is currently a junior, pursuing her B.F.A. degree in acting. This will be her third production. Nya has previously been cast in Macbeth and Anon(ymous!) “It’s been an amazing journey and I’m excited to be a part of another great production!”

Sania Henry

lady in blue

Sania Henry (she/her) is a fourth-year B.F.A. acting candidate at Northern Illinois University. Most recently, she played Emilia in Two Noble Kinsmen at Forest Park Theatre. Her last role on the NIU stage was Nemasani in Anon(ymous) and served as the production’s fight captain. Beyond the stage, Sania enjoys studying French, Spanish, and learning the harmonica. She extends heartfelt thanks to God, her hometown, family, and cohort – for their unwavering support and belief in her artistry. 

Jaylin Turner

lady in red

Haley Johnson

lady in yellow

Haley Johnson (she/her) is a third-year B.F.A. acting candidate at NIU School of Theatre and Dance. Her other credits include NIU’s productions of Machinal, and Anon(ymous). She has also appeared in Love/Sick, A Christmas Story, and the musical TV series Act Of Faith. She would like to thank her friends and family for the love and support! 

Serenity Deida

lady in orange/green

Serenity Deida (she/her) is a third-year B.F.A. student. She was in NIU’s production of Macbeth (Donalbain/Macduff son), and Anon(ymous) (Calista/Ritu/Chorus). She is thankful to be working in this production with such an amazing cast and crew. She is also grateful for her family and friends who have been so supportive through this journey. 

Irismichelle Martinez-Garcia

chorus

Irismichelle Martinez-Garcia (she/her) is a second year B.F.A. dance performance major at NIU with plans to expand her journey as an artist with dance. Her performance credits include Vamos : A Latino Heritage Month Concert, Concert Culture Sharing, Art for Life (fall 2024), the Fall Dance Concert 2024, SCS (spring 2025) , and the Spring Dance Concert 2025 at NIU. She is beyond grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented cast. She hopes you enjoy the show!  

I’Yanna Miller

chorus

I’Yanna Miller (she/her) is a junior majoring in psychology on a pre-med track with a minor in dance. She has trained in dance for several years, beginning self-taught before attending a performing arts school where she majored in dance from middle through high school, while also taking classes at Divine Dance Institute. Outside of dance she plans to pursue a graduate degree in health administration to help coordinate facilities that implement stronger mental and physical health treatments. 

Aja Sanders

Chorus

Aja Sanders (she/her) is a third-year biological sciences major and a second-year dance performance minor at Northern Illinois University. This is her first time performing with theatre. Aja began dancing at Generation Dance Company in Joliet, Illinois where she explored the freedom of movement. She is very appreciative of the opportunity to work with such a talented cast, and crew, and thanks all her mentors, past and present, family, and friends for their support. 

Naija Sherwood

chorus

Naija Sherwood (she/her) is a second-year B.F.A. dance performance major at NIU. She began her training at the age of three as a competition dancer and has since trained with, but not limited to, Lorraine Greys, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Hyde Park School of Dance, Chicago Multicultural Dance Center, and is an alumna of The Chicago High School for the Arts.  Her performance credits include the Fall Dance Concert (2024), Art for Life (Fall 2024), the Spring Dance Concert (2025), and SCS (Spring 2025) at NIU. She is incredibly grateful to collaborate with such talented artists, thanks her loved ones for their unwavering support, and hopes you enjoy the show! 

Roxanna Conner

Director

Roxanna Conner (she/her) directed Prowess for the School of Theatre and Dance last semester. Her other directing credits include Voices of Tomorrow, Victory Gardens Theater; Empathy, CLIMB Theatre; Assistant Director for How I Learned What I Learned and The Nativity Tribute (Congo Square Theatre), CPS Shakespeare: Macbeth and CPS Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). She was co-producer on the development workshops for Pulitzer Prize winning Primary Trust. Other notable producing work includes Mexodus, cullud wattah, and the Regional Emmy nominated Where Did We Sit on the Bus? at Victory Gardens Theater.  

She has also worked as an arts educator and theater administrator at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (UIUC), Mixed Blood Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, and New Freedom Theatre. She has led masterclasses and workshops on Shakespeare, August Wilson, and Devised Theatre for Chicago Public Schools, Chicago State University, DePaul University, and the Antalya International Theatre Festival (Antalya, Türkiye). 

Roxanna is the Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University. 

Sarita Smith Childs

Director and Choreographer

Sarita Smith Childs (she/her) is assistant professor in the School of Theatre and Dance. Sarita is a 2023 recipient of the 3Arts Chicago Award for Choreography and Teaching Artistry, a Ruth Page Awardee for Dance Performance and a Black Theatre Alliance Ira Aldridge Awardee for Best Performance in a Music or Dance Performance. A proud SAG member, she has appeared as a stunt artist and principal ballet dancer in Save the Last Dance, was a former soloist and rehearsal director for international choreographer Randy Duncan, and performed with Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre, Thodos Dance Chicago, Winifred Haun and Dancers, Cerqua Rivera Art Experiences and others.

Sarita is a former company class instructor for Giordano Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Inaside Dance Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers and Chicago Repertory ballet, and a guest teaching artist and choreographer for Joffrey Ballet Community Engagement. In addition to instructing at various studios in and school districts in Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia. She served as an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University Barat College Conservatory of Dance and Loyola University Chicago.

Recent works have premiered on Visceral Dance Chicago, Grayscale Dance (Los Angeles), Chicago Blues Fest – Billy Branch, Winifred Haun and Dancers Third Coast Contemporary, and Inaside Dance Chicago.

Sarita is a USMC military spouse (ret.) and mother of two, she spends her free time volunteering for the arts and military and veteran causes. Sarita is immediate past president of the board of directors of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, chair of the advisory board for Blue Star Families Chicagoland Chapter, board member of the Veteran Chamber of Commerce and advisory member of the Driehaus Museum Learning Committee and the Volunteer Executive Director and Founding Board Member of the Veterans Chamber of Commerce, NFP.

David Charles Tay

Vocal Director

David Charles Tay is hailed as one of “Singapore’s finest operatic talents,” tenor David Charles Tay is celebrated for his versatile artistry, expressive musicality, and a voice described as “delightful in warmth and impressive in projection.” His work spans operatic, concert, and recital stages across Asia, Europe, and the United States. 

In May 2025, Tay appeared as Jason in Charpentier’s Médée as part of the Voilah! Festival, commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties between France and Singapore. In the United States, he has performed with the Bronx Opera Company, Bare Opera NYC, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, The Center for Contemporary Opera, and American Opera Projects, and was a featured artist with the Metropolitan Opera Guild from 2020 to 2023. He made his operatic debut in the U.S. premiere of Paisiello’s Nina, o sia pazza per amore at the Manhattan School of Music in 2007. 

Tay is equally accomplished in contemporary music. He recently performed Nico Muhly’s Stranger with the Avalon String Quartet, and Impossible Things with the Wayfarer Sinfonietta in Singapore. Other notable appearances include Thomas Cabaniss’ Firesongs (Bare Opera, National Sawdust), Victoria Bond’s Gulliver’s Travels (American Opera Projects), and world premieres of Mark Alan Taggart’s Swan’s Inlet and Tony Manfredonia’s Ghost Variations. 

As artistic director of The Opera People, Tay leads one of Singapore’s most prolific and innovative opera companies. In addition to performing, Tay is a sought-after voice teacher, repertoire coach, and choral clinician.

Bridget Kearbey

Scenic Designer

Bridget Kearbey (she/her) is a second-year M.F.A. graduate student in technical theatre design. Bridget is excited to work with this team as the scenic designer on for colored girls. Bridget previously scenic designed for Prowess last spring!

Other backstage credits:

Stage management: True West, SM Cover – Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre), Mean Girls Jr. (Paramount PSA), The Music Man in Concert, A Christmas Carol, Xanadu (Metropolis PAC).

Backstage crew credits: School of Rock (Paramount Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Paramount Theatre), 9 to 5 (Metropolis PAC) Crew Swing – Frozen, Peter and the Starcatcher (Paramount Theatre), 1776, Joseph (Mariott Theatre) Ain’t Misbehavin’, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof (Drury Lane).

Instagram: @bridgetnkearbey 

Sasha Norman

Assistant Scenic Designer

Sasha Norman (she/her) is currently in her third year as a theatre arts design and technology student at Northern Illinois University. This production marks her first experience as an assistant scenic designer and her tenth show at NIU. Over the summer, Sasha worked over the summer as a props artisan at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora and continues to contribute her talents in the NIU prop shop. She is deeply grateful to the incredible team she collaborated with on this powerful production and looks forward to future opportunities in scenic design and all that lies ahead. 

Kylee Galarneau

Co-Costume Designer

Kylee Galarneau is a second-year graduate student at NIU studying costume design and technology. She previously received her bachelor of theatre arts at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. When Kylee is not sewing, she can be found curled up at home with her cat, Purrogi. She is thrilled to work with this talented group of powerful women!

Previous design and technical credits include: Edgar in the Red Room (costume designer/ Le Moyne College, Winner: Best English Production at Montréal Fringe), Macbeth (stitcher/wardrobe supervisor/Northern Illinois University), Holler River (costume designer/Northern Illinois University), Anon(ymous) (assistant costume designer/Northern Illinois University), and Sunday in the Park With George (stitcher apprentice/Glimmerglass Festival). Kylee would like to thank her mother and partner for being her cheerleaders from 700 miles away; along with her mentor, Jeremy Floyd, for his steadfast commitment to education. Find more of Kylee’s work on Instagram: @kyleereneedesign 

Danisha Gilmore

Co-Costume Designer

Danisha Gilmore is a 2025 fall graduate, graduating in design and technology with an emphasis in costume design here at Northern Illinois University. Over the past two and a half years, Danisha had many opportunities building her craft, such as assisting costume design for Prowess in spring 2025, working on the property construction teams fall 2024 for MacBeth and Mary Stuart, light board operating In A Word her first semester in spring 2023 and so many more chances! She is thankful for everyone who believed in her and saw her growth from when she came in almost three years ago. As Danisha’s time at Northern Illinois University is approaching the end, she wants to shoutout God and Hamilton for pointing her in the best direction ever. Granny this one is for you, I love you forever. <3 

Kev Kollmann

Lighting Designer

Kev Kollmann (he/him) is in his final year as an M.F.A. student in lighting design.  He received his B.A. in theater from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh focusing on directing and stage management. Since his graduation he has turned his attention to the design aspects of the entertainment industry. Kev is an active advocate for folks of marginalized communities especially within the disabled community.  He uses the artistic capabilities of design and his real life experiences as a disabled person to help create a more equitable theatrical experience. Kev’s most previous works have been: Anon(ymous) as the lighting designer at NIU and also the lighting designer for the NATEAC (North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference) conference in New York City. For more information and to contact Kev please visit his website at kevkollmanndesigns.com 

Payton Shields

Sound Designer

Payton Shields (she/her) is a second-year B.F.A. design tech major with a concentration in scenic and lighting design. Last semester, you may have seen her as the lighting board op for NIU’s production of Prowess and Macbeth. She is excited to do the sound for this production.

Kateri Pfeiffer

Technical Director

Kateri Pfeiffer is a third-year theatre technology and design major at Northern Illinois University, concentrating on lighting, sound, rigging, and electrics. She works in both theatrical and corporate settings, applying her technical expertise to live performance and large-scale event production. With over ten years of experience in theatre and events—including Davenport Junior Theatre, a rigging internship at Vertigo, and ongoing work as a technician at NIU and throughout the Chicago area she continues to expand her craft. Outside of her technical work, she enjoys volunteering, hiking, visual art, and animal rescue. Special thanks to her friends and family, and to her dog, Sir Figaro Newton, for always being such a good boy. 

Luigi LoCascio

Assistant Technical Director

Luigi LoCascio is a graduate student at Northern Illinois University and is excited to be part of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. This marks his first production at NIU. He is grateful for the opportunity to support such a powerful show and thanks the cast, crew, and creative team for their hard work and collaboration. 

Madie Barnas

Stage Manager

Madie Barnas (she/her) is a third-year B.F.A. design tech major with an emphasis in stage management. Last semester, you may have seen her as the stage manager for NIU’s production of Prowess and the 2025 MFA/BFA Actor Showcase at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. She also had the opportunity to stage manage for our guest director, Peter Andersen, in NIU’s fall production of Macbeth. She would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support, and she hopes that you enjoy the show!  

Scenery

Scenic Coordinator – Sahin Sahinoglu
Scene Shop Supervisor – Adam Rager
Scene Shop Graduate Employees – Emery Foster, Jorge Serano, Luigi Locascio
Scene Shop Undergraduate Employees – Mike Kozel and Jade Doherty
Student Technicians – THEA 295 students
Run Crew – Reese Rodriguez (Deck Crew Head) and Payton Armstrong

Costumes

Costume Design Advisor – Jeremy W. Floyd
Costume Director – Lori Hartenhoff
Costume Shop Supervisor – Elias Dennis
Costume Shop Graduate Employees – Kylee Galarneau, Akaya Chambers, Ski Sciaraffa
Costume Shop Employees – Lexi Foelker, Leni, Emily Christianson, Jay Gonzalez
Student Technicians – THEA 210, 235, and 295 students
Wardrobe Crew – Jay Gonzalez (Wardrobe Supervisor), Deon Morris and Vivian Peterson

Lighting

Lighting Design Advisor – Brandon Wardell
Resident Head Electrician – Chris Kurszewski
Lighting Shop Graduate Assistants – Christopher Christ, Ross Wheeler
Lighting Shop Employees – Conall Doherty, Kateri Pfeiffer
Student Electricians – Drew Bagby, Madie Barnas, Reece Deidrick, Lexi Foelker, Danisha Gilmore, Blake Jablonski, Brianne Jankowski, Sasha Norman, Payton Shields, Zach Zimmerman, THEA 210 students
Light Board Operator – Cam Mitchell
Sound Board Operator – Dean Sidney

Properties

Properties Director – Dave Doherty
Properties Graduate Assistants – Ski Sciaraffa
Properties Shop Employees – Sasha Norman
Properties Shop 295/395 Students – Kayleena Lopez

Production Management

Technical Direction Advisor – Tracy Nunnally
Production Assistant – Kev Kollman
Stage Management Advisor – Angela A. Miller

Production Promotional Artwork – Cornelia Reed

Stephanie and Fred Miller, Michael Kocher

Richard Arnold (Emeritus)
S. Alan Chelser (Emeritus)
Judith Chitwood (Emerita)
Gibson Cima
Roxanna Conner
Stanton Davis
David Doherty
Lila H. Dole (Emerita)
Jasmine Eleazar
Elias Dennis
Jeremy W. Floyd
Paula Frasz (Emerita)
Kent Gallagher (Emeritus)
Kathryn Gately (Emerita)
Alexander Gelman
Richard Grund
Lori Hartenhoff
Jennifer Ingle-Grund
Paul Kassel
Chris Kurszewski
Paige Larkowski
Marc Macaranas
Bethany Mangum-Oles
Kay Martinovich
Terrence McClellan (Emeritus)
Angela A. Miller
Randall Newsom (Emeritus)
Tracy Nunnally
Richard Poole (Emeritus)
Adam Rager
Patricia Ridge (Emerita)
Deborah Robertson (Emerita)
Michel Rodriguez Cintra
Sahin Sahinoglu
Stephanie Sailer
Taryn Sarto
Robert Schneider (Emeritus)
Sarita Smith Childs
Brandon Wardell