New Release & Updates!
- Garland Thompson
- Jul 30, 2025
- 2 min read
We are pleased to release a re-write reading of Sister Suffragists & The Harlem Hellfighter by Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo and directed by Byron C. Saunders. Featuring Candess Taylor, Eddie Oliver, Adrienne Carlotta, Vicki Ross-Norris, Sabrina Morabito, Victor D'Wayne Little, Katherine Elliot, Patricia Van Tassel, and Jon Hayden.
The playwright has welcomed and incorporated audience feedback into this enhanced script! We are so proud of her on this development journey, as we continue to provide artistic and developmental support. Thanks to everyone who has watched and participated in the reading series!
Synopsis:
Synopsis: This historical drama brings to life the courageous activism of three African American Suffragists—Victoria Clay Haley, Madame C.J. Walker, and Ida B. Wells—and their connection to Sergeant Henry Johnson, a member of the famed Harlem Hellfighters.
Set against the backdrop of St. Louis in the early 20th century, the play explores the intersection of women’s rights, racial justice, and wartime heroism as three trailblazing women work tirelessly to secure the passage of the 19th Amendment, all while confronting the pervasive racism of their time.
Their efforts to bring Sergeant Henry Johnson to St. Louis to expose the U.S. military’s discriminatory treatment of Black soldiers underscores their commitment to racial equity on a national scale.
About the Playwright:
Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo was born in St. Louis, MO. She attended Vashon High School and later transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. After graduating from Exeter, she obtained a BA in English Literature from Barnard College in New York City. She holds graduate degrees in Sociology from North Carolina Central University and a doctorate in Higher and Adult Education from the University of Memphis.
She has lived and worked in Zimbabwe for 10 years and is the Chair of the International Institute for African Scholars (IIAS). She recently co-founded The Black Aging Arts Theatre in St. Louis for older adults to write and perform new plays highlighting African and African American history.
Watch the complete FSWW Play Reading Series playlist here.
ROGUE THEATER FESTIVAL 2025
Tickets are still available for Coni Koepfinger's SOCIAL INSECURITY at the Rogue Theater Festival, August 4 - 10, 2025.
Zoomcatchers is pleased to be the digital presenter for SOCIAL INSECURITY, a bold new metatheatrical fantasy. SOCIAL INSECURITY is directed by Byron C. Saunders and Jon Hayden, featuring Patricia Van Tassel, Paul Eisemann, Jon Hayden, Ken Coughlin, Matt Matthews, and Sabrina Morabito—music composed by Walter Bland.
When playwright Michael falls for his leading lady, Patricia, backstage romance turns into onstage chaos. As scheming director Harvey Hanger plots to hijack Michael’s fortune—with the help of a shady actor and a staged robbery—reality and performance collide.
Will love in the end conquer all?
Click to learn more about the Rogue Theater Festival!
Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming readings & podcast releases and more!
Peace
Comments