The Creative Team

Ms. Smart is a librettist, singer-songwriter, dramaturg, and storyteller. She attended Florida International University studying Communication Arts and Global Black Studies, merging her instinct to write with her interest in telling Black stories on a global scale. She went on to graduate from NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where she found the intersection of storytelling and songwriting and explored the world of writing for theatre, which has proven more fulfilling than she could have dreamed. Since moving to New York City, Morgan has written three musicals of her own, Our Mother’s Mothers, AWAKENED, and SHADOWS. Morgan’s work has been presented and workshopped at Goodspeed Opera House, The Lincoln Center, New York Theatre Barn, and NYU. Tisch. She’s worked as a dramaturg with Hi-Arts N.Y.C. and with the New Victory Theatre on Broadway. Most recently, Morgan has written a movie musical produced by the New York Film Academy that will be released in the summer of 2022.  Discover more of Morgan at MorganJSmart.com.

Ronvé O’Daniel is an award-winning songwriter, lyricist, composer, and hip hop enthusiast. His work has been produced Off-Broadway, as well at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley New Works Festival, Eugene O’Neill National Music Theater Conference, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony Residency at Goodspeed Theater, as well as NYU-Tisch School for the Arts. 

Ronvé recently made his Off-Broadway debut as Composer/Sound Designer in the premiere of Superhero, produced by Houses on the Moon Theater Company.  He collaborated with Virginia Stage Company and Virginia Public Works for the world premiere of The Earth Remembers, an original song-cycle that serves as both education and a celebration of the unique history of the Hampton Roads, Virginia community. His work was also featured by Theatreworks USA for their series Who Tells Your Story where he pays tribute to Robert Smalls, a man born into slavery who became a Civil War Naval Hero and South Carolina Congressman. He is currently partnering with the new licensing all-digital agent Uproar Theatrics to create The Hippest Wizard of OZ, with longtime collaborators J Kyle Manzay and Jevares Myrick.   Ronvé recently made his directorial debut with City Springs Theatre Company’s educational musical short film Beautiful Hair, which he also wrote. He was the recipient of Eugene O’Neill National Music Theater Conference’s Georgia Bogardus Holof Lyricist Award – given to only one lyricist every summer who exemplifies a promising career in musical theater writing. Ronvé’s other works include: Once Upon a Rhyme (f/k/a iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical), Greenwood (Musical Theatre Factory), Letters to the President, BAPS (Music and Lyrics for National Tour), The New Girl (Concord Theatricals) and We Love (NAMT 15-minute musical). You can keep up with him at ronveodaniel.com.

Jevares has been featured in BroadwayWorld.com and Playbill.com. He has worked with longtime friend and collaborator Ronvé on their musical Once Upon a Rhyme (f/k/a ILLA! A Hip Hop Musical), which not only had three sold-out development runs in Toledo, Atlanta, and New York but was also named one of the Top 10 Musicals Not To Miss At Nymf 2015 by Playbill. iLLA also won NYMF’s 2016 Show-Score Best Of Fest Award and NYMF’s 2015 Developmental Reading Award For Excellence. Jevares’ work has been featured by Virginia Stage Company and Virginia Public Works in the new Musical The Earth Remembers, an original song cycle that served as both education and a celebration of the unique history of the Hampton Roads, Virginia community.  He also worked with Theatreworks U.S.A. for their series Who Tells Your Story, a tribute to Robert Smalls, a man born into slavery who became a Civil War Naval Hero and South Carolina Congressman. Recently, Jevares was commissioned by City Springs Theatre Company in Atlanta, GA, to write a fun and educational short musical film called BEAUTIFUL HAIR. As an actor, Jevares can be seen currently on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical, The Book of Mormon, as he is currently a swing, understudy, and dance captain. He is a five-time Suzi Bass Award Nominee as well as an Ovation Award recipient for Best Male Vocalist. Other works include Greenwood (Musical Theatre Factory), Letters To The President, BapS (Music for National Tour), The New Girl (Concord Theatricals), and We Love (NAMT 15-minute musical).

The Producing Team

Underwood was nominated for a 2021 Tony Award for his performance in the Roundabout Theatre’s Tony Award-winning revival of A Soldier’s Play at the American Airlines Theater.  He was also nominated for a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award. He made his Broadway debut in the iconic role of “Stanley” in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he earned a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination. As a theatrical producer, he was recently represented on Broadway with the acclaimed production of  Pass Over.  He will soon Exec Produce and reprise his role of Jonathan Rollins as the lead for the upcoming reboot of “LA Law” for ABC. Before that, he will be featured in the upcoming Showtime series, “Three Women,” alongside Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, and Betty Gilpin. Underwood recently directed Viral, a feature in which he will also play the lead, opposite Sarah Silverman and Alfre Woodard.  He can currently be seen playing Vernon Jordan, opposite Clive Owen, Edie Falco, and Beanie Feldstein, in megaproducer Ryan Murphy’s “Impeachment” for FX. Underwood co-starred in the Netflix limited series, “Self-Made,” opposite Octavia Spencer, earning his eighth NAACP Image Award.  In 2019 he recurred on the Netflix comedy series “Dear White People” and in Clark Johnson’s Juanita, opposite Alfred Woodard, also for Netflix.  He spent two years as a series regular on the ABC drama series “Quantico” while also recurring on another hit ABC drama, Agents of SHIELD.  He also had a co-starring role in The After Party, from writer/director Ian Edelman, which Netflix released late in 2018.  He can be seen co-starring in Justin Simien’s horror-comedy Bad Hair, which premiered on Hulu in October 2020. Past television credits include series regular roles on “Dirty Sexy Money,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “In Treatment,” “LA Law,” and “The Event.”  Film credits include Just Cause, Set It Off, Rules of Engagement, Madea’s Family Reunion, and Full Frontal for director Steven Soderbergh. Underwood co-starred opposite the late Cicely Tyson in the national tour and in the Lifetime telefilm, A Trip To Bountiful, based on the Tony Award-winning play. 

Ms. Garman has a diverse background in theater, music, non-profit, and entertainment.  She is currently the press representative for Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven and the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, among others.   Recent work includes American Dreams Off Broadway (Working Theater), Border People Off Broadway (Working Theater), Between the Bars Off Broadway, National Alliance of Musical Theatre Festival of New Musicals, The Eliza Project (Graham Windham/Hamilton), Broadway Brews Project (collaboration w/The Happy Hour Guys, Hamilton, Waitress & Come From Away casts), and Arts in the Armed Forces (w/ co-founder Adam Driver).  With leading press agent Sam Rudy, Holly worked on multiple productions and events, including Dear Jack, Dear Louise by Ken Ludwig at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, Fiercely Independent  Off Broadway (Soho Rep), and Miracle in Rwanda (Theater Row).    

Joe is the president of JT Public Relations. For over 20 years, he has represented productions On and Off-Broadway, including  A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad and  A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Blair Underwood. Additionally, he has worked with many non-profit organizations, including Lincoln Center, Cherry Lane Theatre, Urban Stages, and many more. Projects include Anthony Rapp’s Without You (with Royal Family Productions & Lisa Dozier), Masters of Puppets, NJ Rep, Urban Stages, and Houses on the Moon. Additionally, he is the COO and Director of Communications of Lillypops. He sits on the Board of Royal Family Productions and is the Executive Producer of Katsura Sunshine’s Rakugo (New World Stages, West End) and is developing the limited streaming series “Madam Tsubaki” written by Clayton Hamilton and Jeff Klein.

After retiring from the Army wherein she led several DoD civil-military initiatives to develop response capabilities, Edna held management positions in several companies. She managed homeland security and information technology initiatives for federal agencies including the Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Afterwards, she became a sought-after consultant to assist companies navigate the complex federal bid and proposal process, taught Business Ethics and Introduction to Business as an Adjunct faculty member at Howard County Community College, and was a Howard County Community Mediator. She is a former Foundation board member at Appalachian State University wherein she established a scholarship for veterans and their children. She now conducts outreach and public education as an advocate for the World War II African American Women’s Army Corps unit, the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Her efforts resulted in a monument at Fort Leavenworth Kansas, a Blue Plaque dedication at the King Edward School, Birmingham, England, an award-winning documentary, the Six Triple Eight, and media coverage reaching millions of audiences worldwide. Currently, Edna is championing the legislative effort with Congress to award the 6888th the nation’s highest civilian award, a Congressional Gold Medal.

JAMES WILLIAM THERES ( Co-Historical Advisor) is an award-winning Executive Writer for the National Cemetery Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington D.C.  As an independent filmmaker, he has directed and produced three documentary films, The 30^th of May (2016), The Hello Girls (2018), and The SixTripleEight (2019).  His films have appeared on Mississippi, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Maryland Public Television, and on national PBS. He is the recipient of the Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander Award from Jackson State University, the Media and Entertainment Award from the Daughters of American Revolution, a Special Recognition Award from the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation, and a Special Recognition Award from the Congressional Black Caucus.   

His work has been screened at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington, the National Archives, National WWI Museum, National WWII Museum, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. 

James is a Persian Gulf War/U.S. Army Veteran.

LDK Productions, a New York City-based theatrical management, and producing firm, was founded by Lisa Dozier Shacket in 2007. Select current/recent credits: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, Anthony Rapp’s Without You, Little Girl Blue (Off-Broadway), Katsura Sunshine’s Rakugo (Off-Broadway), Be More Chill (Broadway, Off-Broadway, West End), the immersive theatrical adaptation of the film Sideways (Off-Broadway), A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur (Off-Broadway), A Letter to Harvey Milk (Off-Broadway, London). Lisa’s executive producing projects in development include Anthony Rapp’s Without You in collaboration with Royal Family and Edie Brickell’s 38 Minutes. She was the founding producing director of the regional theatre Miami New Drama and is currently a professor of the practice of theatre management at the University of Florida. LDKProductions.com