randolph college creative writing

English Literature & Creative Writing: Home

English literature & creative writing research guide.

This guide lists useful library and web resources for research and information about English literature and creative writing. Contact a librarian if you need help finding what you need or using any of these resources.

Search for Books

Search for books by title, author, or subject in our library catalog

Or, use WorldCat to see what books are available in any library. With Interlibrary Loan , you can order books from other libraries

Citation Resources

Citation Help Guide - Information, tips, and examples of different citations styles

Zotero - A free citation-management tool that keeps sources organized and generates in-text citations and bibliographies

Literature Research Databases

• Humanities International Complete This link opens in a new window Research literature from humanities-based publications
• Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window Includes literary criticism, biographies, bibliographies, periodical articles, and more
• MLA, Modern Language Association Directory of Periodicals This link opens in a new window Covers modern languages, literature, folklore, and linguistics
• MLA, Modern Language Association International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new window Provides detailed information on over 6,000 journals and book series that cover literature, literary theory, dramatic arts, folklore, language, linguistics, pedagogy, rhetoric and composition, and the history of printing and publishing

Interdisciplinary Research Databases

• Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window A comprehensive database that covers research across all academic fields
• Google Scholar A freely accessible web search engine that indexes scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines
• JSTOR This link opens in a new window A comprehensive database covering research across fields, with an emphasis on humanities and social sciences

E-Books and Online Collections

• The Adirondack Review a digital art & literature quarterly publishing poetry, fiction, essays, and works in translation, as well as visual art and photography
• Failbetter a journal of literature and art from Richmond, VA and New York, NY
• Project Gutenberg Digitized versions of thousands of classic books; download onto a computer or Kindle, or read them online
• Twentieth-Century American Poetry This unparalleled collection includes 50,000 poems drawn from 750 volumes by over 300 poets.

Other Resources

• Celebration of Women Writers online access to works by women and to resouces about women writers, University of Pennsylvania
• Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window scholarly information on the meaning, history and pronunciation of words both past and present

• Last Updated: Jul 3, 2024 3:19 PM
• URL: https://library.randolphcollege.edu/english

Phone: 434-947-8133 Email: [email protected] Staff Directory

Randolph College BA in Creative Writing

How much does a bachelor’s in creative writing from randolph cost, randolph undergraduate tuition and fees.

Does Randolph Offer an Online BA in Creative Writing?

Randolph bachelor’s student diversity for creative writing, male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their bachelor’s degree in creative writing in 2019-2020, all of them were women.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Of those students who received a bachelor’s degree at Randolph in creative writing at 2019-2020, none were racial-ethnic minorities*.

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

Jump to navigation Skip to content

Search form

• P&W on Facebook
• P&W on Twitter
• P&W on Instagram

Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. In the Literary Magazines database you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work.

Whether you’re pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more.

Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books they’re interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.

Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books.

Find publishers ready to read your work now with our Open Reading Periods page, a continually updated resource listing all the literary magazines and small presses currently open for submissions.

Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing.

Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests.

Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more.

Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience.

Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets.

Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more.

Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory.

Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Everything you need to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other poets and writers—all in one place.

Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs.

Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world.

Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places database—the best starting point for any literary journey, whether it’s for research or inspiration.

Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets.

Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

• Register for Classes

Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us.

The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community, providing them with a network for professional advancement.

Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops.

Bring the literary world to your door—at half the newsstand price. Available in print and digital editions, Poets & Writers Magazine is a must-have for writers who are serious about their craft.

View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine .

Read essays, articles, interviews, profiles, and other select content from Poets & Writers Magazine as well as Online Exclusives.

View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine , from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987.

Every day the editors of Poets & Writers Magazine scan the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know.

In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing.

The Time Is Now offers weekly writing prompts in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox.

Every week a new author shares books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired and shaped the creative process.

Listen to original audio recordings of authors featured in Poets & Writers Magazine . Browse the archive of more than 400 author readings.

Ads in Poets & Writers Magazine and on pw.org are the best ways to reach a readership of serious poets and literary prose writers. Our audience trusts our editorial content and looks to it, and to relevant advertising, for information and guidance.

Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine ; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; report a missed issue; contact us.

Peruse paid listings of writing contests, conferences, workshops, editing services, calls for submissions, and more.

Poets & Writers is pleased to provide free subscriptions to Poets & Writers Magazine to award-winning young writers and to high school creative writing teachers for use in their classrooms.

Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print.

• Subscribe Now

Randolph College

• Printable Version
• Log in to Send
• Log in to Save

MFA Program

Poetry: Kaveh Akbar, Eloisa Amezcua, Jos Charles, Anthony Cody, Rigoberto González, Paige Lewis, Angel Nafis, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Chet'la Sebree, Danez Smith, Phillip B. Williams, Jane Wong

Fiction: Clare Beams, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Mira Jacob, Sabrina Orah Mark, Julia Phillips, Anjali Sachdeva, John Vercher

Nonfiction: Clare Beams, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Mira Jacob, Sabrina Orah Mark, Julia Phillips, Anjali Sachdeva, Chet'la Sebree, John Vercher, Jane Wong

The program offers partial funding.

Students attend two ten-day residencies each year in June and December/January. The June residency is held on the Randolph College campus in Lynchburg, Virginia; the December/January residency is held at an off-campus location in central Virginia.

The application deadline is March 1 for the June residency and September 1 for the December/January residency.

Please log in to continue. LOG IN Don't yet have an account? SIGN UP NOW -- IT'S FREE!

Introduction

English language requirements, about the school.

• Ask a Question

M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Lynchburg, USA

Request pace

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Request application deadline

EARLIEST START DATE

TUITION FEES

Request tuition fees

STUDY FORMAT

Request study format

Scholarships

Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies.

Virginia’s only low-residency program, the Randolph College Master of Fine Arts program is a two-year, intensive degree in creative writing: poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Students complete four semesters of one-on-one mentorship with our award-winning faculty and attend five 10-day residency sessions on the Randolph College campus.

Certify your English proficiency with PTE. The faster, fairer, simpler English test, accepted by thousands of universities around the world. PTE, Do it worry-free!

Similar Courses

Bachelor of arts (ba) in english: creative writing.

• Dubuque, USA

Bachelor of Fine Arts/Bachelor of Arts in English + Creative Writing

• Columbia, USA

BA in English Literature with Creative Writing

• Manchester, United Kingdom

Randolph College > Academics > Graduate > MFA Theatre > Faculty

Our Faculty and Leaders

Ariel J. Benjamin

Dennis Whitehead Darling

Melissa DuPrey

Ɖavid Lee Huỳnh

Bianca LaVerne Jones

Lelund Durond Thompson

Karl O’Brian Williams

Jessica Zivny

Stephanie Holladay Earl

Ally Farzetta

Advisory Board

Brandon carter, nehassaiu degannes, mary catherine garrison, david rainey, administrative faculty, patrick earl, heather sinclair, ariel j. benjamin: faculty mentor.

Ariel Benjamin (she/they) is a lighting designer who has worked regionally and internationally in theatre, dance, opera, and broadcast television.

For the past decade, Ariel has been a staff lighting designer for The Lighting Design Group in NYC and worked for such clients as: CNN, Bloomberg, MTV, NY1, SNY, and CNBC.

Currently, she is the lighting designer for the Tamron Hall Show on ABC since its launch in 2019 and the senior lighting designer for Yahoo! NY Studios.

Ariel received her MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Maryland and her BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Paltz. She is a member of USA 829 and NABET and a proud native of Brooklyn, NY.

Raja Benz: Reinventing Classical Traditions for the Modern World Faculty

Raja Benz (she/her) is a distinguished theatre-maker, cultural consultant, and intimacy professional recently relocated to the Metro-Detroit region. A proud Filipina-American Trans woman, Raja has established herself as a transformative voice in theatre through her advocacy and pedagogy which centers on highlighting the rich histories of queer of color praxis as the foundation for inclusive, authentic, consent-based approaches to intimacy for stage and screen.

Raja’s career has spanned a number of milestone projects, including serving as the cultural consultant for Pride as part of Tectonic Theatre Project’s Seven Deadly Sins under the direction of Moisés Kaufman. Raja’s work has been featured in collaborations with many other prominent theatre companies including Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Live & In Color, IRT NYC, and Virginia Repertory Theatre. Raja’s work was also featured on Swagger (AppleTV), where she was an intimacy coordinator for the second season.

Raja holds a Certificate in Performance from the legendary Moscow Art Theatre, as well as both a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Northern Illinois University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University, where her graduate studies focused on movement for stage, devised theatre, intimacy coordination & choreography, and gender studies. Her thesis, “QTIES: Queer & Trans Intimacy as Emergent Strategy,” focused on developing queer of color driven inclusive pedagogical practices for teaching performance in contemporary theatre training institutions. During her time as a Graduate Student, and in the years following, Raja served as an adjunct professor of movement & devising and worked professionally in the Richmond theatre community– ultimately serving as the Community Engagement and Outreach Manager at the Richmond Triangle Players, a professional theatre focusing on queer stories and artistry. Raja is a highly-sought after educator, and has had the honor of presenting her work through colleges, universities, and independent intimacy programs across the world including The Educator Advocacy Program, Intimacy Coordinators of Color, Randolph College, Oberlin College, Penn State, Villanova University, The University of South Carolina Upstate, and at University of California system at large through the Summer in the Arts program housed at Fresno State University. Raja’s work is proudly now housed across four departments at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance where she serves as the Resident Intimacy Choreographer and Cultural Consultant.

Raja is an Associate Faculty of Theatrical Intimacy Education, where she has developed curricula including Working With Trans & Non-Binary Artists, Staging Sex Beyond the Binary, Sex Work on Stage & Screen, and Non-Monogamy, Polyamory & Staging the Group. In addition, Raja teaches and assistant teaches a wide-range of workshops including Best Practices for Theatrical Intimacy, Staging Sex: Outercourse, Power Play, Consent in the Acting Studio, Stage Managers and Intimacy, and Foundations of Race, Intimacy and Consent. She is a contributing author in two upcoming publications, The Intimacy Coordinators Handbook and Queering the Stage .

In short, Raja’s work is deeply rooted in a history of queer people of color organizing and navigating issues of consent and autonomy that extends well beyond the existence of the intimacy field.

RajaBenz.com | @Raja.In.Rehearsal

Nana Dakin: Faculty Mentor

Nana Dakin is a queer Thai American director of new work, classics and devised performance based in NYC. Her work pursues social equity by examining the way culture is constructed and unsettling dormant biases. She is the first Thai theatre director to direct at the Royal Court Theatre in London. 

In NYC she has developed and presented new work at Ars Nova, Atlantic Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Soho Rep and more.

Recent NYC theatre credits include: Dear John (Brick Aux), Extraordinary Alien (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre), Should I Buy These Katanas to Fill the Void in My Heart (Ma-Yi Theater Company), We Play Together (Ma-Yi Theater Company), Mammelephant (Superhero Clubhouse).

Recent regional theatre credits include: The Chinese Lady (Everyman Theatre), Again (Theater Mu), Eurydice (American Shakespeare Company).

Nana is a core member of B-Floor Theatre, Thailand’s most highly awarded theatre company, and of Superhero Clubhouse, a company that creates theater to enact climate and environmental justice. Nana is also the Board President of the Thai Theatre Foundation.

She has taught directing, devising and creative movement workshops in Thailand, the U.K and the U.S. As a performer with B-Floor Theatre, she performed in Thailand, Japan, Italy and the U.S.

She is an alum of the Soho Rep Writer Director Lab, NYTW 2050 Directing Fellowship, Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship, and Civilians R&D Group. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.

www.nanadakin.com

Dennis Whitehead Darling: Faculty Mentor

Dennis Whitehead Darling is an award-winning Stage Director working in opera, theatre, musical theatre and film.

His recent directing credits include:

World Premieres of Marian’s Song (Houston Grand Opera), Sanctuary Road (North Carolina Opera), Why I Live at the PO (UrbanArias), Buried Deep (End Station Theatre) and The Secret River (Opera Orlando).

Other works include Jelly’s Last Jam – A Concert Reading (Long Wharf Theatre), The Falling and the Rising (Arizona Opera), La Bohème (Opera Columbus), Lost in the Stars (Annapolis Opera), The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Red Mountain Theatre), Independence Eve (Opera Birmingham), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Hattiloo Theatre/Spazio Teatro No’hma – Milan), Jelly’s Last Jam (Hattiloo Theatre), The Parchman Hour (Hattiloo Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Spazio Teatro No’hma –Milan), Intimate Apparel (University of Memphis), Movin’ Up in the World (Opera Memphis), Sunset Baby (Hattiloo Theatre), James and the Giant Peach (Circuit Playhouse), Blue Viola (Opera Memphis), Mr. Rickey Calls A Meeting (Hattiloo Theatre), Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (Hattiloo Theatre).

Film credits include: Hansel and Gretel (Opera On Tap), Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Carnegie Mellon University).

Associate Directing credits include: AITAF on Broadway (Studio 54), The Last of the Love Letters (Atlantic Theatre), Light’s Out: Nat “King” Cole (Geffen Playhouse), Skeleton Crew (Geffen Playhouse).

In 2018, he was selected by Opera Memphis as their Inaugural McCleave Fellow in Directing, a fellowship dedicated to fostering the careers of Stage Directors and Music Directors of color.

Throughout his career, Dennis has expressed one major goal, “to tell emotionally engaging and provocative stories that challenge the viewer to see the world from a different perspective.”

www.denniswhiteheaddarling.com

Melissa DuPrey: Faculty Mentor

An AfroLatina performer, storyteller, & comic from the heart of Chicago, Melissa DuPrey is a native of Humboldt Park.

After earning double Bachelor degrees from the University of Houston, she returned to Chicago to join the all-Latina theatre company, Teatro Luna. Her one-woman show, SEXomedy , was developed during their monthly series for women of color in the arts and received a Chicago Reader Recommendation, a Member’s Pick, and had a successful debut Off-Broadway in New York.

Her second solo show, SUSHI-frito , has also been critically acclaimed as part of MPAACT’s Signature Series for solo artists.

Regional Theatre credits include: Tilikum (Sideshow Theater Company), The Compass (Steppenwolf Theatre) and Luna Gale (Goodman Theatre).

Other theatre credits include American Beauty Shop (Chicago Dramatist), SUSHI-frito (Free Street Theatre), Adoration of the Old Woman (Urban Theatre Company), and A Citizen’s Anthology (Inconvenience Theatre), Forecast (ICAH/MCA), and PUTAS! (Teatro Luna).

Film credits include: Two in the Bush (2017), The Way We Speak (2014), and Bromance (2014).

Melissa was a featured actor in the Emmy-nominated web-series Brown Girls . Other TV credits include appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Empire,” “Chicago PD,” and “The Chi.”

She is currently an Ensemble Member at UrbanTheater Company, and the Director of Production and Community Relations at Free Street Theater.

As a stand-up comic,  DuPrey has performed in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and various reputable venues throughout Chicago such as Zanies, Riddles, Second City’s UP Comedy Club, Mikey O Comedy Show, and The Abbey Pub. Ms. DuPrey has also been a regular guest on WGN’s late-night radio show hosted by Comedian Patti Vasquez and a guest performer/panelist at the National Hispanic Leadership Summit.

As a musician and active member of her community, she is dedicated to the preservation of Puerto Rican culture by way of the folkloric music, Bomba y Plena, with Africaribe and Las BomPleneras.

www.melissaduprey.com/

Ɖavid Lee Huỳnh: Faculty Mentor

Đavid Lee Huỳnh is a Ragin’ Cajun Asian-American award-winning actor and writer. He is based in New York City where he also serves as the co-producing artistic leader of The Sống Collective and one of the cast members of the official Dungeons and Dragons television series Encounter Party. 

Off-Broadway credits include the critically acclaimed revival of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice which premiered Off-Broadway at Theatre for a New Audience before transferring to The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC and is set to transfer overseas to the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland; the twice Drama-Desk nominated and NY Times Critics Pick Off-Broadway revival of Henry VI (National Asian American Theatre Company); the world premiere of Once Upon a (korean) Time (Ma-Yi Theatre Company); the world premiere of the twice Drama-Desk nominated Warrior Sisters of Wu, Emperor’s Nightingale, No-No Boy (Pan Asian Rep); The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (Transport Group); Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Gingold Theatrical Group); P*SSYC*CK KNOW NOTHING: An Extended Moment of Troubling Imagery (Target Margin Theatre).

Regional credits include Yale Repertory Theatre, Denver Center, Alley Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Everyman Theatre, Mixed Blood, and many others.

TV/Film credits include Blue Bloods , FBI , Solitary (“Best in Brooklyn”, 2022 Brooklyn Sci-Fi Film Festival, nominee for Best Actor [Short Film] alongside Andrew Scott, 2021 Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival), Children of the Dust , What’s Missing , Encounter Party .

He is the Ozark Living Newspaper Theatre Company Playwright-in-Residence and a Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America 2023/2024 Project YZ Fellow.

His voiceover career includes audiobook titles such as Tom Hanks’ debut novel “The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece”, “Star Wars: The High Republic – The Battle of Jedha”, “Star Wars: The Impossible Flight of Ash Angels”, “Minecraft: The Shipwreck”, the Audie-Award winning “Clementine and Danny Save the World [and Each Other]”, and over fifty other titles. He has also provided dubbing for foreign films, television programs, anime, and ADR/looping for network television series.

He holds a BFA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and an MFA from the University of Houston Professional Actor Training Program.

www.davidleehuynh.com | @huynhsome

Bianca LaVerne Jones: Faculty Mentor

Bianca LaVerne Jones is an accomplished Broadway Associate Director, known for her outstanding work on productions such as Chicken and Biscuits and Thoughts of a Colored Man at Syracuse Stages and Baltimore Center Stage. Her expertise extends to regional theaters and artistic art houses and libraries, notably directing ILLMATIC at Bed Stuy Art House and Head Above Water at African American Research Library and Cultural Center. 

Jones has showcased her directorial prowess in various productions, including Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls at Baltimore Center Stage and Crumbs from the Table of Joy at Lantern Theater.

Her commitment to storytelling and diverse narratives is evident in her work on A Small Oak Tree Runs Red at the Billie Holiday Theater in Brooklyn, Blks at MCC/NYC, and The First Noel at Classical Theater of Harlem and Apollo Theater in NYC.

In the realm of film, Jones has made a mark with her own production, MABEL , and contributions to projects like Emmy nominated The Gaze (Episodes 108 & 109) with Tell Me a Story Productions in Los Angeles. Her involvement in Mother’s Milk , Undercover Sidechick , and Storkers as a Script Supervisor in London further underscores her multifaceted talent.

Bianca LaVerne Jones holds a wealth of training from esteemed institutions such as NCSA, SUNY Purchase, Yale, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (MA-Directing). Her dedication to the craft has earned her several awards, including the DC Black Theater Festival’s Best One Act Play in 2013, the 2019 Broadway World Award for Best Actress, 2018 AUDELCO Award for Best Ensemble, 2024 ESSENCE Finalist for her film MABEL .

With an impressive portfolio and a commitment to excellence, Bianca LaVerne Jones continues to contribute significantly to the world of theater and film, showcasing her passion for storytelling and artistic innovation.

Lelund Durond Thompson: Faculty Mentor

Lelund Durond Thompson is an actor, acting coach, photographer, writer, and director based in Los Angeles.

He enjoys using his diverse skill set to tell stories that heal and capture people in their best light.

After studying acting at North Carolina A&T State University (BFA) and Case/Cleveland Play House (MFA), he started his career as a professional actor in New York while also working regional, off-Broadway, and international shows in theaters and venues like Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Sons d’Hiver Festival in Paris (with iconic American artist Melvin van Peebles).

In 2010, he discovered his passion for photography. Since then, he’s enjoyed capturing Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks, Sting, Daniel Radcliffe, and many of New York’s and Hollywood’s most talented artists.

In 2014, he founded Lelund Durond Studios, attracting and securing clients/projects like Diane Guerrero and Joivan Wade (“Doom Patrol”, HBO Max), Radha Blank (Sundance 2019 Directing Award Winner for “The Forty Year Old Version”) and the upcoming MGM feature film “Respect” (featuring clients Jennifer Hudson and Marlon Wayans).

In 2016, the world famous Apollo Theater (in collaboration with The Classical Theatre of Harlem) premiered “The First Noel”, an original holiday musical he wrote with Special Tony Award recipient, Jason Michael Webb (“Respect”, Executive Music Producer). He and Jason are honored to be commissioned by National Black Theatre as they write their new musical, “WiLDFLOWER.”

www.lelunddurond.com

Karl O’Brian Williams: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and New Play Development Faculty

Karl O’Brian Williams is a Jamaican-born actor, playwright, producer, director and educator.

His acting career has taken him from stages in the Caribbean to those in New York, Toronto, and the United Kingdom.

In 2021 he received an Audie Award nomination for his narration of Maisy Card’s “These Ghosts are Family.”

The short film Winston was adapted from his monologue “The Kept Man,” and received over eighteen film festival selections including the Hip Hop Film Festival, BronzeLens, Circle City Film Festival, Queen City Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival and the African American Film Festival.

His play The Black That I Am has been staged in Glasgow and Galloway for the National Theatre of Scotland, and at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival.

Not About Eve had a successful run Off-Off-Broadway in New York, Queens, Brooklyn, Rochester, Hartford, CT, and North Carolina at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem.  In 2013 the play received 3 AUDELCO nominations for Excellence in Black Theatre including Outstanding Ensemble Cast, Best Dramatic Production, and Best Playwright.

Excerpts of his play “What’s In A Name” have been published in Out & Allied Volume 2: An Anthology of Performance Pieces by LGBTQ Youth & Allies .

His other published play “The Signs of Friendship” is part of the theatre anthology: We’re Not Neutral Reset Series 2020 .

He has served as Deputy Chair and Theatre Coordinator in the Speech, Communication and Theatre Arts Department at The Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY), and as Adjunct at NYU Steinhardt in the Program in Educational Theatre.

He has taught at the City College of New York and done teaching artistic work with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Apple Arts, and Wingspan Arts.

For NYU and the Center for Multipurpose Education & Programs, Williams has directed the Martin Luther King Jr. signature event since 2011 and has produced shows for the Skirball Performing Arts Center and the Jamaica Performing Arts Center.

He is currently a mentor with the Arthur Miller Foundation, and part of Playground-LA’s Writers Pool Season 11.

As Artistic Director for Braata Productions, he curates the organization’s bi-annual Caribbean Play Reading Series, creates educational theatre curriculum for after school and senior center programs, and created Braata’s annual events, Bankra Caribbean Folk Festival and Old Time Grand Market.

He has shared the stage with Harry Belafonte and the late historian and activist Howard Zinn, and pursues artistic projects that interrogate socio-political issues, especially those intersecting with Caribbean culture, queerness, and immigration.

www.braataproductions.org

Jose Zayas: Faculty Mentor

José Zayas is an award-winning director. He has directed over 100 productions in New York, regionally, and internationally.

​Credits include: El Perro del Hortelano (Gala Theatre), Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) (En Garde Arts), The Queen of Basel (Studio Theatre, DC), Exquisita Agonía (Repertorio Espanol), The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir (BAM, MASS MoCA, US & European Tours), A Nonesuch Celebration (BAM), Washed Up on the Potomac (San Francisco Playhouse, The Flea Theater), Undocumented (Joe’s Pub), Pinkolandia and El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom (Two River Theater), The House of the Spirits (Teatro Espressivo, Gala Theatre, Denver Center, ACE, HOLA, and Ovation Awards for Best Production and Direction), Your Name Will Follow You Home, La Nena Se Casa, Love in the Time of Cholera, In the Time of the Butterflies, In The Name of Salome, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Burundanga (Repertorio Español, ACE and HOLA Awards for Best Production and Direction for the latter two), Corazon Eterno, (Mixed Blood), Southern Promises and Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist (PS 122, The Brick), Useless (IRT), Father of Lies and Vengeance Can Wait (PS 122); P.S. Jones and the Frozen City, Feeder: A Love Story (TerraNOVA Collective); Privilege, Okay, Mrs. Jones and the Man From Dixieland (EST), The Idea of Me (Cherry Lane Theatre), The Queen Bees (Queens Theatre in the Park), Manuel Vs. The Statue of Liberty and Children of Salt (NYMF), Cancun, Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Gala Theatre, DC), Wedding Dress, The Island of Lonely Men (Teatro Espressivo, Costa Rica), Grapes of Wrath, Romeo & Juliet (The American Shakespeare Center).

José has premiered works by Stephin Merritt, Hilary Bettis, Nilo Cruz, Caridad Svich, Robert Askins, Thomas Bradshaw, Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater, Taylor Mac, Marco Antonio Rodriguez, Lynn Rosen, Saviana Stanescu, Carlos Murillo, Rob Urbinati, Kristina Poe, Catherine Filloux, James Carter, Gerardo Cardenas, Matt Barbot, Susan Kim, and Jordi Galceran.

Notable fellowships and affiliations include: a Drama League Fellowship, Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab, SoHo Rep’s Writer/Director Lab, and the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors. He is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and he was the Resident Director at Repertorio Español from 2008-2018. José was born in Puerto Rico. He holds a BA from Harvard University and an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jessica Zivny: Faculty Mentor

Jessica is a long-time multi-passionate artist, born in (and currently based in) NYC. Her life in theatre began in her undergrad years, where she built a career directing musicals in schools, as well as working as a choreographer, costumer, and running school stage crews. Her decade of work as a theatre educator included obtaining her Masters Degree in Educational Theatre from CUNY City College in 2014.

Jessica’s years of experience as an educator has ranged from Lighting Design Teaching Artist at the High School of Performing Arts on 42nd Street, to Adjunct Professor of Technical Theatre and Stage Management at Simon’s Rock at Bard College. This past Spring, she had the pleasure of being a Master Artist at BOCES Long Island High School of the Arts where she was able to focus on teaching props (which was a dream come true!).

Though Educational Theatre played a major role in her career, she also continued to work professionally as an Equity Stage Manager (Shakespeare & Company, WAM Theatre, Hang a Tale, First Maria), Costume Shop Manager (Barrington Stage Co., American Shakespeare Center), and most vitally, as a Props Artist.

Jessica’s career shifted to focusing on props when she began working as the Resident Props Supervisor at Williams College in 2014. Alongside her four years at Williams, Jessica also began working in props at other Berkshire theatre companies such as Barrington Stage and WAM Theatre. Jessica stayed with Barrington Stage as their Props Supervisor for over three seasons, now having worked on over 30 productions there.

Jessica has been Props Supervisor at Manhattan Theatre Club since 2019. She has propped a dozen Broadway shows with MTC, most recent credits include Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Mary Jane, and Prayer for the French Republic. She is most proud of the two Tony Nominations for best Scenic Design that she played a major role in: Skeleton Crew (designer, Michael Carnahan), and Jaja’s (designer, David Zinn).

Some of her favorite Off-Broadway credits include A Sherlock Carol (New World Stages), Poor Yella Rednecks (MTC), Bella Bella (MTC), Socrates (The Public Theater). A couple other favorite projects include Set Dresser for Dylan Mulvaney’s 365 Live! (The Rainbow Room) and Costume Crafts for How to Dance in Ohio (Belasco Theatre).

In 2020, Jessica became a Certified Interior Decorator and established her company Interiors by Jessica Lee. Since theatres were shut down at that time, it was the perfect transition to continue creating spaces for others. She is still actively designing homes, rooms, and businesses when she is able to. She believes that your space reflects how you feel, and is a vital part of personal self expression. The difference between set dressing and designing homes is slim, at the heart of it you are creating an environment and telling a story.

www.jessicazivny.com

Faculty Left: Faculty Mentor

Faculty right: faculty mentor, stephanie holladay earl: director.

Stephanie Holladay Earl has worked professionally as an actor, director, and choreographer for the last 20 years. She is an Associate Professor, Head of Undergraduate Theatre, and the Director of the MFA Theatre Program at Randolph College. She also serves as Artistic Director for Endstation Theatre Company.

Stephanie earned her BA in Theatre Performance and Dance from Greensboro College and her MFA in Acting from The University of Houston PATP. 

Earl moved to Virginia to work as an actor and choreographer at The American Shakespeare Center in 2011. Roles include Hermione in The Winter’s Tale , Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing , Olivia in Twelfth Night , and the Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi .

Stephanie has worked with Endstation Theatre Company for many years. Her roles with ETC include Rosalind in As You Like It 2018, Neddy McCullough in The Bluest Water , and Tara in Buried Deep .

Other regional theatre acting work includes credits from The Barter Theatre, Main Street Theater Houston, and The Farm Theatre. 

Her work as a Director and choreographer has been seen by audiences at The American Shakespeare Center, The Barter Theatre, Greensboro College, Greensboro Children’s Theatre, Milligan College, and Main Street Theater Houston.

American Shakespeare Center directing credits include the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 productions of A Christmas Carol , Every Brilliant Thing , Sense and Sensibility , Emma , and Amy E. Whiting’s Anne Page Hates Fun (the first production in ASC’s Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries series).

Earl has choreographed dance pieces for more than 30 ASC productions.

Her direction for the ASC’s production of A Christmas Carol received praise from DCMetro: “…with Stephanie Holladay Earl’s intricately-woven choreography and direction, this new production soars in ways I never thought possible.” 

Ally Farzetta: Assistant Director

Ally Farzetta is a professional actor, theater-maker, and educator. In addition to serving as Assistant Director of MFA Theatre Ally directs productions and teaches classes for the Randolph College Performing Arts Department.

Ally earned her BA in Theatre Arts from the State University of New York at New Paltz and her MFA in Acting from FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.

Over the last decade Ally has performed in classical, contemporary and new works at numerous regional theatres around the country, including Asolo Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare and Company, Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Repertory Theatre, American Stage, Shadowland Stages, and more.

Ally spent two years touring the country with the American Shakespeare Center, where she played many roles in over ten productions, including Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility , Lady Macbeth in Macbeth , and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale .

Actor | Former Artistic Director, American Shakespeare Center

www.brandoncarter.actor

Actor | Poet | Maker | Teacher

www.nehassaiu.com

marycatherinegarrison.com

Executive Director of Stage Directors & Choreographers Society

Resident Actor, Alley Theatre

www.alleytheatre.org

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre Randolph College

www.randolphcollege.edu/performing-arts

Assistant Professor of Theatre, Technical Director, Randolph College

Dean of Graduate Studies & Innovation, Professor of English Randolph College

www.randolphcollege.edu/english