BETWEEN THE LINES: A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us

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Taproot Presents A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us

An evening of laughter, love, and unrelenting joy! Seattle’s own Sarah, Be, and Faith Bennett Russell carry on their family’s legacy as storytellers, while celebrating their individual journeys as Black female artists. From their roots in Jamaica to their home in Seattle, this cabaret is filled with songs both new and old. Bring your tissues and party-poppers and prepare to leave with a song in your heart.  

As director Jimmy Shields shares in his director’s notes, 

Jimmy Shields directs Faith Bennett Russell, Be Russell, and Sarah Russell. Aaron M. Davis Norman music directs. The production team includes Parmida Ziaei, scenic design; Andi Alhadeff, costume design; Ahren Buhmann, lighting design; Mark Lund, sound design; Colleen Nielsen, stage manager; and Sonja Lowe, dramaturg. 

The band is made of Olivia D. Hamilton, bass; Kevin Haylock, guitar; Jamael Nance, drums; and Justin Tran, keyboard/conductor. 

Tickets are on sale now! Learn more here →

ACTOR SPOTLIGHT

Be Russell – Making a positive, poignant, and lasting impact in other people’s hearts and minds. To quote Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Faith Bennett Russell – I am passionate about art, my family, my faith, racial equity and social justice. I am hungry to build a world of joy and peace. I hope I can leave behind great investments in those areas, that live long past me. My children are a living legacy of these things. 

Sarah Russell – I think it’s important to tell my story my way. In this industry it’s easy to be pigeonholed into one thing. So I love that we get the opportunity to share our story our way and to show who I truly am.

PRODUCTION SPOTLIGHT: Behind the Scenes with Costume Designer Andi Alhadeff 

The costumes for A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us go way beyond the striking colors, fabrics, and forms. Andi Alhadeff incorporated both the Russells’ heritage and their personal styles into the costumes, and sourcing them from independent designers aligned with the show. She shares the inspiration for the costumes with communications manager Daytona Danielsen in this video. 

(Don’t miss the links to the clothing lines in the video description!)

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Meet Bretteney Beverly, Associate Artistic Director

Taproot is thrilled to introduce Bretteney Beverly, its new Associate Artistic Director.

Bretteney hails from the great state of Texas. She received B.A. degrees in Music and Psychology from Tougaloo College in 2012 and her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting from Regent University in 2016. After graduating from Regent, she began working in Atlanta as an actor and director. Not long after making Atlanta home she was offered the position of Associate Artistic Director at Shawnee Theatre in Indiana and three years later would become the Producing Artistic Director.

Some of her favorite theatre credits include A Streetcar Named Desire, ‘Night Mother, Grease, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Crowns, An Octoroon, Pride & Prejudice, Flyin’ West, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Bus Stop, Macbeth, South Pacific and She Stoops to Conquer. A few of her favorite directing credits include Grease, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf, R & J, Little Shop of Horrors, The Fantasticks, Crimes of the Heart, and Always… Patsy Cline. In her off time, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her adorable pit bull, Boss Lady.

Bretteney joined the Taproot staff at a timely moment this summer, as cast and crew prepared to bring A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us to the stage: She worked with several artists from this production in 2018, when she appeared in the musical Crowns by Regina Taylor at Taproot.  From that production, Faith Bennell Russell (director), Be Russell (cast), and Aaron M. Davis Norman (music director) are part of this current show.

Photo: Be Russell, Bretteney Beverly, Vincent “VJ” Orduña, Bethanie Willis, Marlette Buchanan, Tracy Michelle Hughes, and Kristen Natalia in Crowns in 2018. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

ART SPOTLIGHT: Us: Photographs by Robert Wade

September 9 – November 5, 2022  

People have captured each other’s likenesses on film since the mid-1800s. Processes and materials have evolved, but our fascination with our own images remains eternal. Seattle photographer, Robert Wade, has expressed his fascination with the human image over the last six decades through portraits both posed and candid, in black and white and color, in groups and individually. Throughout his work, Robert finds the heart of the subject and manages to bring to the surface a complex reflection of who we think they might really be.  

The works reflect his travels to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and throughout the United States. They tell the stories of our quiet home life, our social gatherings, our shared cultural experiences, our fight for justice, our joys and uncertainties – our lives.  

In the tradition of 20th century photographers like Gordon Parks, Robert Capa, and Elliott Erwitt, Robert Wade shares us our community of humans in a way that makes us feel like we know them, like they’re walking around our neighborhood, like we all belong together. 

With a smile or a glance, the subjects of Robert’s photographs open the door to their lives, but only so far. Though we might not learn their whole story, they spark a curiosity that allows us to wander our own creative story path in search of the whole person we think we see. They inspire us to know us.  

View more works by Robert Wade at RobertWadePhoto.com. Works in the exhibition are available for sale, mounted as shown, framed or unframed. Please contact the artist to purchase, robert@robertwadephoto.com. 

– Gina Cavallo, Curator, Director of Development, Taproot Theatre 

Photo credits: Robert Wade

• Cécile McLorin Salvant, Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA, 2016, AP 35
• Untitled, Strøget (walking street), Copenhagen, Denmark, 1969, AP 55 

NEXT ON THE JEWELL MAINSTAGE: The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley

In this all-new Jane Austen-inspired story, we return to the world of the Darcys and Bennets! Lydia’s come for Christmas, the halls are decked, and the aroma of everyone’s favorite orange biscuits fills the air. But downstairs the loyal staff scramble to keep a secret that could upend the festivities. Amid the chaos of Christmas, a little yuletide forgiveness might be the one gift everyone needs.

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE October 2!

Featured Subscriber Rewards: A Handful of our 2022 Subscriber Rewards Discounts

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Discount: $1 off your first beer when you show your Subscriber Rewards Card and a ticket stub from a recent show at Taproot Theatre.

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Discount: 10% off purchase of any pair of eyeglasses up to $50 when you show your Subscriber Rewards Card. Cannot be combined with insurance plans or other discounts.

Learn more about your 2022 Subscriber Rewards Partners here →