Partnership Provides Professional Theater Opportunities for AAMU Students

The Communication Media Department at Alabama A&M University has partnered with Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater & Academy (FPCTA) to create theater for young audiences and provide professional theater opportunities for AAMU students. The partnership will also provide high-quality programming for North Alabama.

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater and Academy (FPCTA) provides theatre arts access through production, education, and outreach, reaching more than 31,000 residents annually, including 21,000 children and youth.

The AAMU Bulldog Players is a student organization housed in the Johnson Little Theatre in the Morrison Fine Arts Building on campus. Theatre professor Jill Balch-Coon leads performance training, productions and theatrical presentations. They include the AAMU Shakespeare group Bulldog Bard’s two performances of “Much Ado About Nothing” at The Orion Amphitheater last year.  

“Freedom Riders: Homecoming,” an original script by Carissa Conley and directed by FPCTA Artistic Director Stephen Tyler Davis, is the first completed production in this partnership. The cast and crew are comprised entirely of AAMU students from Davis’ COMM 400 class. During the first week of class, interested students auditioned for roles in the play and those who did not audition were assigned technical support, like stage management, audio/visual, marketing and scenic design. FPCTA hired six students who are now contracted actors with FPCTA. For some, it’s their first professional paid theater job and serves as a vital experience for students interested in pursuing a career in theater.

“Freedom Riders: Homecoming” had its opening performance on Monday, February 19, 2024, at FPCTA’s main office in Huntsville, Alabama, and was sold-out. The next performance is Wednesday, February 28 at AAMU's Johnson Little Theater. Tickets are available for the three public performances at:
https://onthestage.tickets/show/bulldog-players/65b66e3bc5afcc0e476909f1

“Freedom Riders: Homecoming” is expected to serve over 1,500 students throughout the State of Alabama and in Southern Tennessee.

About “Freedom Riders: Homecoming” 

The Freeman Family is buzzing with joy as they prepare for the homecoming of their active duty military daughter. As the feast comes together, the youngest of the family questions which historical figure she will choose for her Black History Month Project. The quirky Freemans use song, dance, fashion, history, and everything in between to introduce the many figures who paved the way for civil rights. What does freedom really mean? Who fought for it and which character will she choose for her school project? Authentic food, music, and community come together in celebration of family, love, legacy, and the beauty of freedom in today’s America.