In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with Broadway director Schele Williams about authentic representation onstage and off, storytellers’ responsibility to choose values over biases, the diverse manifestations of women’s power, becoming friends with failure, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!
Episode Notes
Hosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews
Guest: Schele Williams
Music: Chloe Geller
Episode Resources:
The Notebook
The Wiz
Aida
“We Fall Down”
Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History
Your Legacy Begins: First Words to Empower
Black Theatre United
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Women & Theatre: Hannah Coffman interview
Guest Bio:
Schele Williams (she/her) is a director committed to cultivating new musicals and devised work with authentic representation on stage and off. Profiled in Variety’s Top 10 Broadway to Watch, she is currently directing the upcoming Broadway revivals of Aida (Disney Theatrical Group) and The Wiz, as well as the premieres of Mandela the Musical and Indigo. She made her Broadway directorial debut this season with The Notebook (co-directed with Michael Greif). She will also be helming Hidden Figures, currently in development (Disney Theatrical Group). Schele has directed at regional theatres and festivals across the country and has a long history of work on Broadway in Rent, Aida, and Motown: The Musical. Passionate about pairing social justice with the arts, Schele is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism on our streets and stages. She has been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for over two decades and serves as Chairperson of the Board, and also serves on the board of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Schele is the author of the children’s book Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History and recipient of a 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book honor.
Find Schele Online:
Visit Schele’s website
Follow Schele on Instagram
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