THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND
By Marcus Gardley
Featuring Guest Director Dee Dee Batteast
Starring WMU Professor Dwandra Nickole Lampkin
Guest Lighting Designer Sulaiman As-Salaam
Before the Civil War, before the abolition movement gained strength, New Orleans was home to a community rarely taught in American history: the free people of color. In this world of complex laws and shifting power, Marcus Gardley’s The House That Will Not Stand follows a family of women fighting to define freedom for themselves as the United States takes control of Louisiana.
Set in 1836, this award-winning drama blends rich language, history, and supernatural elements to illuminate a moment when the meaning of freedom was being rewritten. It is the story of resilient, resourceful, catty, joyful, spiritual women. At its center stands Beatrice Albans, a widow determined to protect her daughters and her home as the laws - and the world - change around them.
It's a story about legacy- how it's passed down, how it's resisted, and how it’s rewritten. About the ways women learn to hold power, to shape their own futures, and to speak aloud what was once only whispered. The House That Will Not Stand is an excellent example of the power of theatre, and audiences can expect to be swept up in memory, magic, and the story of a powerful matriarch.
“I hope audiences leave with a renewed appreciation for what true freedom feels like--remembering that it can easily be taken away when we forget how valuable it is.” -Dwandra Lampkin
For mature audiences, ages 12+ - No babes in arms or small children.
Dee Dee Batteast (She / Her) is currently adjunct acting faculty for Ball State’s BFA program. She teaches courses in beginning acting, audition, and one-person show. She is also a proud alumnus of Ball State (07).
Ms. Batteast is also a writer. Her self-produced one-woman show, NO AIDS, NO MAIDS, enjoyed a successful run at the Washington DC Fringe Festival, where it received the Capital Fringe Honors: Favorite Show of Fringe and Favorite Solo Performance. Ms. Batteast’s regional directing credits include The Thin Place at Gloucester Stage, People Where They Are at Clarence Brown Theatre, and The Revolutionists & The Conviction of Lady Lorraine at Farmers Alley.
Dee Dee received her MFA in acting from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she spent 3 years as a company member of PlayMakers Repertory Theatre. Some of her recent regional acting credits include: Merry Wives of Windsor & The Royale at American Players Theatre, Clyde’s at Studio Theatre, A Christmas Carol & Ohio State Murders at The Goodman, and Detroit 67’ at The Clarence Brown Theatre. She has also worked at Virginia Stage Company, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Television credits include Chicago Fire, The Shinning Girls, and Chicago Med.
Sulaiman As-Salaam (they/them) is a rising lighting designer out of Atlanta, Ga. This is their first production at Western Michigan University. Their work has been seen at theaters across the Southern United states. They are excited to bring their Talents to our Stage. (Steel Magnolias - CFRT25 / Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - Springer Opera House25 / The Preacher's Wife - Assoc. - Alliance Theatre24).
Dwandra Nickole Lampkin is a Professor of Theatre in the School of Theatre and Dance at Western Michigan University. A graduate of the prestigious National Theatre Conservatory, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts in Acting, Lampkin launched her professional career in New York City, working across stage, television, and film for over three decades. She is thrilled to be working alongside her students in this production, bringing her professional experience to the stage in collaboration with the next generation of theatre artists.
Her television credits include appearances on Law & Order, Third Watch, Law & Order: SVU, and the critically acclaimed ABC series Wonderland. On stage, she has performed at renowned regional theatres such as the Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theatre, The Huntington Theatre in Boston, the National Black Theatre in New York City, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and The Human Race Theatre Company. She recently appeared at Farmers Alley Theatre in Skeleton Crew and at The Purple Rose Theatre in the world premiere of What Springs Forth.
Some of Lampkin’s most memorable stage roles include Matron Mama Morton in Chicago, Aunt Ester in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, and Mrs. Muller in Doubt. She is slated to return to The Purple Rose Theatre next summer in the world premiere of Emma’s Weddings.
She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA.
Schedule
November 14, 7:30 PM
November 15, 7:30 PM
November 16, 2:00 PM
November 20, 7:30 PM
November 21, 7:30 PM - American Sign Language
November 22, 7:30 PM
November 23, 2:00 PM