By Malaysha Sabria
Student playwrights are once again at the forefront with alums as directors of Bowie State University’s spring show, Transformation. Audiences will be introduced to not one but two new and exciting one-act plays: Whitney Watson’s I Have No Idea Why I’m Here and Kyia Parker’s Divinity Amongst the Sea are enthralling tales filled with comedic qualms about the afterlife and having divinity on your side.
Divinity Amongst the Sea is centered around Baleen, a young woman who “must learn to trust the waters” amid her unexpected encounter with marine life through divine intervention. Senior theater major Kyia Parker touched on any nervousness she felt having her play making it to the stage: “Initially, I think what ‘scared me the most’ was my loved ones knowing that Baleen is loosely inspired by me, and them seeing my insecurities and inner dialogue on display was jarring. Once I got over myself, I realized how many people the play’s overall message would resonate with, and that means more to me than potential embarrassment or shame. So, nope! No nerves. Just sheer excitement and gratitude.”
That message of self-discovery and connecting to ancestors resonated deeply with Divinity Amongst the Sea director and BSU Theatre alum Rah Matthews, who expressed joy at giving back to BSU by joining The Incubator, BSU Theatre’s new-play and performance development program. She shared her feelings after reading the script for the first time: “I loved it. I love whimsical, magical stories paired with authenticity!”
I Have No Idea Why I’m Here follows protagonist Sam, played by Keisha Brown, as they explore “the other side” with strangely ethereal figures, making audiences question the meaning of life, morality, and mortality. BSU theater alum Audra Jacobs, the director of I Have No Idea Why I’m Here, shared why undergrads and alums joining forces felt important to them as well: “It reminds me of why I love Bowie State so much in the first place. You know the school is unique, and it teaches that if you don’t have it, make it yourself. Coming back and seeing these students as designers, actors, and playwrights reminds me of this, and makes me proud that they will prepare themselves for the professional world as much as possible right here.”
While recalling her time working with the cast, Rah Matthews described the experience as enlightening: “We had a lot of good conversations about the connections to today. Even though we focused on magical realism, we want to ensure that the message is heard and felt. As a director, as an artist, my goals are for me to be the voice for the voiceless.” Both directors advise upcoming directors to always “have patience.”
Newer members of the Bowie State University Theatre shed light on how this sense of community fosters love for the craft. Josiah Williams, a freshman theater major playing Clay and “a chill purgatorial bird” in I Have No Why I’m Here, describes his character as “a caring friend that hasn’t received much of the love they have put out. They want Sam to recognize how they have been a bad person,” noting that we are not always our perceptions. The entire cast of Divinity shared their excitement about presenting a story centered around Black, divine femininity, and being a part of an all-female cast. “We feel strongly about women in art and women’s representation, especially when it comes to work because many women don’t get as much attention in the industry,” Matthews noted. “Working with the all-female cast helped us learn much about who we are and each other.”
Ray Ingram (senior), first-time stage manager, treasures that he got to collaborate with alumni as directors, saying, “I think it’s a privilege to work with them, especially since I either did not know or spent little time with them before they entered the [professional] world. It’s like having your older sibling return home from college and teach you everything they’ve learned.”
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts and BSU Theatre Production Coordinator Elena Velasco stresses the significance of BSU’s Incubator program in times when artistic expression is being challenged: “Developing the next generation of Global Majority theater artists, especially young Black women, is particularly critical right now. Theater offers a freedom that many are trying to silence in our country. To see the works of these emerging playwrights fully imagined is powerful and necessary.”
Transformation opens Wednesday, March 5 and plays through Saturday, March 8, 2025, presented by Bowie State University Theatre performing in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts Black Box Theatre at Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Rd, Bowie, MD. Seating is limited. For more information and to purchase tickets ($15 general admission; $10, student, senior, faculty, staff), go online.
Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, one intermission.
I Have No Idea Why I’m Here by Whitney Watson features Keisha Brown, Queen Harris, and Josiah Williams.
Divinity Amongst the Sea by Kyia Parker features LaShay Fletcher, Danielle Russell, Skylar Vincent, and Chayley Williams.
Set and costume design by Nadia Kuffar; lighting design by Devin Harper and Lorenzo Henriquez; sound design by Ibrahim Jalloh and Ryan Chandler Wilson. Stage managed by Raymond Ingram (lead), Xavier Ashton-Adderley (assistant), and Brian Wise (crew).
Malaysha Sabria is a self-described theater practitioner and artistic enthusiast who has worked in many positions such as acting, directing, stage management, and designing along with other artistic mediums. Throughout her academic career, she has learned about the importance of collaboration and space for ideas. She has won multiple awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Her mission is to make creative dreams real.
