“the no-fuss opera-like production is powerful and passionate.”
— Star Tribune
April 22 - May 6
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
with special community events throughout Montgomery
Three Generations.
One Journey Towards Justice.
Book and Lyrics by Harrison David Rivers
Music and Additional Lyrics by Ted Shen
Music direction by Dr. Joel Jones
Directed by Ryan Dobrin and Tyler Thomas
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ABOUT WE SHALL SOMEDAY
Uplifted by a sweeping, jazz-infused score, We Shall Someday is an original musical following three generations of a southern Black family as they each encounter and confront acts of racial injustice. Offering an exploration of our past to propel us forward with conviction and hope, We Shall Someday examines how we continue the fight for freedom and justice.
The show begins in 1961 when Julius makes the decision to join the Freedom Rides. The second act follows his daughter, Ruby, as she wrestles with how to respond when Jay, her teen son, is brutally attacked by the police. The third and final act continues in 1992, on the heels of the Rodney King verdict, with Jay, as he weighs his choice to join the movement.
With searing vocals and deep personal truths, We Shall Someday is a galvanizing and moving new work about the family bonds that hold us together and the courage, resolve, and direction needed to keep moving forward.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR TITLE FONT.
“an epic story told in an intimate, moving and lovely way.”
— Cherry and Spoon
“this new musical lifts up black voices from america’s turbulent history. it also tells the story of three generations of americans, the struggles they endured, the love they felt, and the bonds that are never broken. It shows the ugly side of racism and offers the hope of people coming together to make a change. we’re all in this together.”
— Play Off the Page
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
AT ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
*Limited Availability
All performances will be followed by a panel discussion with members of the cast, creative team and leading activists, artists and thinkers from Montgomery and beyond.
Running time: 90 minutes; no intermission
Performances at Alabama Shakespeare Festival are open to the public. All tickets $25
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SPECIAL EVENTS
Tuesday, April 22 – 5:30-6:00PM
Meet the Artists! Get a sneak peek into the creative process of We Shall Someday at The New South Bookstore. Join playwright Harrison Rivers as well as members of the cast for a look inside the creative process and enjoy a special performance from the show.
Thursday, April 24 – 5:30-7:30PM
Supper in a Safe House: A Meal that Changed America is an intimate, one-night-only experience benefiting the Freedom Rides Museum. Small group tours of the internationally recognized Harris House include a period supper, live music, and an opportunity to mingle with Freedom Riders. Limited Capacity.
Friday, April 25 – 7:00-8:30PM
Join us on Opening Night of We Shall Someday at Alabama Shakespeare Festival as we welcome some of the original Freedom Riders to the performance followed by a special post-show commemoration.
Saturday, May 3 – 10:00-11:00AM
Join us in celebrating the unveiling of a special sidewalk mural. Building on Montgomery’s thriving local arts scene, the We Shall Someday Project unveils a community mural created in partnership with the Freedom Rides Museum and local artists, Milton Madison and Bill Ford.
Sunday, May 4 – 2:00-3:30PM
May 4th marks the 64th anniversary of the Freedom Rides leaving Washington DC. Join us at the final performance of We Shall Someday at Alabama Shakespeare Festival for a special commemoration as we are joined by special guests and a panel discussion following the performance.
Sunday, May 4 – 5:00-8:00PM
Join us at The King’s Canvas – a Creative Placemaking space providing opportunity and access for underdeveloped and underrepresented artists in Montgomery – for an immersive storytelling and artistic expression gathering that brings together local artists, Freedom Riders, and community members to reflect on the themes of We Shall Someday.
Tuesday, May 6 – 5:30-7:30PM
Join us at the Harris House for an interactive experience of multi-generational dialogue around the legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the future of social justice activism in Montgomery.
Through guided tours, small group discussions, and breakout sessions, attendees will explore how different generations can bridge perspectives to sustain activism, preserve history, and ensure long-term impact. Participants will leave with a shared understanding of their role in carrying the movement forward and a commitment to preserving Montgomery’s place in civil rights history. Limited Capacity.
To RSVP or for more information, please visit this link or contact
info@weshallsomedayproject.com
HIGH SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
We Shall Someday is thrilled to partner with Montgomery Public Schools to bring over seven hundred high school students to experience the show at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, followed by a post-performance workshop as well as in-school workshops in the weeks before and after attending the performance. Participating schools include Booker T. Washington High School, Percy Jullian High School and Park Crossing High School.
CAST
John Edwards (Jules) Actor/Singer/Dancer/Songwriter. Currently starring on Broadway in MJ The Musical (Jackie Jackson/tour singer/James Brown soloist). Previously seen in New York City Center’s Encores productions of Love Life, and Jelly’s Last Jam, and NYC revival of Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Chita Award winner, Lucille Lortel nominee). Broadway and 1st National Tour of Jersey Boys (Hal Miller/Barry Belson/others). National/International tour of Hairspray (Seaweed J. Stubbs) and In the Heights at The Kennedy Center (Domingo). And more. IG @therealjohnedwards To GOD be the glory!
Cole Thompson (Jay) A Detroit native with family hailing from Mobile, Cole is thrilled to be bringing this story back to Alabama. Now more than ever, stories like this should be amplified. Broadway and National Tours: Into the Woods, Off-Broadway: White Rose: The Musical, Regional: Mamma Mia!, Cabaret, Seussical. B.F.A from the University of Michigan Music Theatre program. Endless gratitude to Nicolosi and Co. and the We Shall Someday team. @_cole__thompson
Danyel Fulton (Ruby) is a Brooklyn-born and bred storyteller. She was last seen starring as Shayla in PAC NYC’s inaugural performance of Watch Night. Some of her favorite credits include: Ruby, (Broadbend, Arkansas, Transport Group), Actor 3, (Plays for the Plague Year, The Public), Dorothy (The Wiz, The Muny ’18 & Harlem Rep ’09), Dionne, (Hair, 2nd National Tour), Nettie, (The Color Purple, PCLO), Charlayne (Ain’t Misbehavin’, Harlem Rep), Aisha (A Time to Love, National Black Theater), and Sarah (Ragtime, The 5th, Asolo Rep, and TUTS). Danyel received Drama League, Antonyo, and Audelco nominations for Ruby in Broadbend, Arkansas. She has received four additional Audelco nominations for her roles as Shayla, Dorothy (HRT), Charlayne, and Aisha. Psalms 33:5 www.danyelfulton.com
Jake Loewenthal (Scooter) Select Regional Credits Include: Signature Theatre: Private Jones, Ragtime, Into the Woods, She Loves Me, RENT; Shakespeare Theatre: King Lear, Our Town; Asolo Rep: World Premiere of Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard; Ford’s Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors. Barrington Stage Company: Cabaret; Hartford Stage: Macbeth, La Dispute; Rep Stage: Falsettos; Trinity Rep: A Christmas Carol; Quintessence Theatre Group: King Lear; Playhouse on Park: Cabaret; Theater at Monmouth: Henry V, Richard III, Dial M For Murder; Short North Stage: Bad Jews, The Rocky Horror Show, Noises Off, Sondheim on Sondheim (director). Upcoming: Fiddler on the Roof at Signature Theatre. MFA Brown/Trinity.
CREATIVE TEAM
Harrison David Rivers (Book and Lyrics) is an award-winning playwright, librettist and television writer based in St. Paul, Minnesota. His work has been produced at Roundabout, Yale Rep, Transport Group, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, among others. Harrison sits on the Board of The Movement Theatre Company and Playwrights’ Center. harrisondavidrivers.com.
Ted Shen (Music and Additional Lyrics) is a composer whose musical theater works include: A Second Chance (2011), Just One ‘Q’ (2016), Broadbend, Arkansas (2019) and We Shall Someday (2023). With his wife, Mary Jo, he oversees The Ted & Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, a foundation that supports education and the arts with a focus on musical theater.
Dr. Joel Jones (Music Director) is a native of Chicago. He holds a D.M.A. in Piano Performance & Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. A retired Professor of Music /Director of Choral Activities at Alabama State University, he is currently a collaborative pianist at ASU, ASF music director for The Sound of Music, Four Little Girls, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Jubilee, Little Shop of Horrors, and Associate Music Director for Cabaret and Joseph.
Ryan Dobrin (he/him) (Director) is a Producing Artistic Leader of The Movement Theatre Company. Recent Directing: you don’t have to do anything(Vulture Best of 2024), The Voices in Your Head (Theatrely Best of 2024), 24-Hour Plays Broadway, Joe’s Pub, NAMT, Drama League, Yale, University of Michigan. Recent Associate Directing: The Last Five Years (Broadway), Merrily We Roll Along (Broadway, pro-shot, NYTW), Diana (Broadway). BA: Wesleyan University (Rachel Henderson Prize). ryandobrin.com.
Tyler Thomas (Director) is a New York-based theater director. Her work has most recently been seen at the Vineyard Theatre,Pasadena Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Geva Theatre. Tyler is a 2025 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award recipient and currently the Associate Artistic Director of the national arts and health initiative, Arts for EveryBody.
Tanya Orellana (Set Design) designs performance spaces for theatre, opera, and immersive experiences. Select credits: What Became of Us (Atlantic Stage 2), Mexico Premiere: Angels in America, Derecho (La Jolla Playhouse); Mother Road (Berkeley Rep); Fefu and her Friends, Big Data, (ACT); For The People (Guthrie Theatre); Stew, (Pasadena Playhouse). MFA (CalArts). 2017 Princess Grace Fabergé Theatre Award. tanyaorellana.com
Devario D. Simmons (Costume Design) is an American Costume Designer; his credits include Broadway: Thoughts of a Colored Man; Off-Broadway: TABLE 17, THE WHITE CHIP, Bees and Honey, TUMACHO, Between the Bars, EMERGENCY! and P.S. Additionally, Simmons has had the pleasure of being a guest artist at: Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Opera St. Louis. His regional credits include MCC, The Geffen Playhouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Asolo Rep., TheatreSquared, Geva Theatre, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, The Long Wharf Theatre, Jean’s Playhouse, Syracuse Stage and Baltimore Center Stage. Other credits include RUSTIN (Netflix), three seasons of AMC’s television show TURN, the 2nd National Touring production of In the Heights and two seasons of PBS television series Mercy Street. Member of United Scenic Artist 829.
South Bloom Media (Projection Design) is a projection design studio dedicated to crafting visual worlds for the stage. We specialize in creating original video content and media environments that transform live performance. From subtle atmospheres to bold visual statements, South Bloom brings a unique intensity to projection design, enhancing theatrical storytelling and creating unforgettable visual experiences.
Tye Hunt Fitzgerald (Sound Design) is a Canadian born Sound Designer based in New York City. Design credits include: Much Ado About Nothing, Comedy Of Errors, Vagrant Trilogy (The Public Theater), How I Learned What I Learned (Geva Theater), Legally Blonde (Oregon Cabaret), King Lear (La Mama), Superstitions (OKC Rep), The Full Monty, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Skylight Music Theater), Matilda The Musical (New Arts), Associate Credits Include: Boop!, English, Home, Hell’s Kitchen, Pictures From Home (Broadway), A Soldiers Play (Broadway and 1st National), Millions (The Alliance Theater), Cullud Wattah, The Micheals, White Noise, Eve’s Song (The Public), Alice By Heart (MCC). MFA Yale School of Drama. @tyehuntfitz
Marshall Lee Smith Jr. (Production Stage Manager) was recently appointed the Atlanta Regional Representative for the Stage Manager’s Association! Select Credits: BUST, The Preacher’s Wife: World Premiere, Fat Ham, Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, The Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd (Alliance Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Cats, West Side Story (City Springs Theatre Company); The Color Purple, Cinderella (Aurora Theatre Company). Marshall would like to thank God, his fiancee, family & friends for supporting the arts. @PSM_Marshall | MarshallSmithSM.com
THE WE SHALL SOMEDAY PROJECT
The We Shall Someday Project brings performances of We Shall Someday into cities along the 1961 Freedom Riders’ route to uplift the important history of the Freedom Rides as central to the Civil Rights Movement and to inspire dialogue in local communities aimed at advancing community engagement and activism on the ground.
The We Shall Someday Project is committed to working with theaters and performing arts centers, alongside community activists and organizations, to build meaningful partnerships and wrap-around programming that unify local communities around social justice goals.
The Freedom Rides represent courage, conviction and motivation to fight for the change we want to see in the world and to create a more just and equitable society. Yet, the Freedom Rides also represent a piece of Civil Rights history that is not always as widely understood or appreciated. In presenting We Shall Someday, we hope to amplify the Freedom Rides landmark history and create a dynamic intersection of the arts and community engagement that allows us to understand our collective past as a way of investing in our shared future.
THE WE SHALL SOMEDAY LEADERSHIP TEAM
Freedome Bradley-Ballentine, Mandy Hackett, Vincent Hall, Megan Loughran, Madeleine Lambert, Mary Jo Shen, Ted Shen, Harrison David Rivers, Tyler Thomas, Dorothy Walker
Valerie Britten, General Manager
Heather Northrop, Fundraising Consultant
Kristopher Thompson-Bolden, Producing Associate