Carson School alumna Richards receives first Rebecca Luker Theatrical Partnership
calendar icon03 Feb 2022
Lincoln, Neb.--Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film alumna Karen Richards (B.A. 2019) is the first recipient of The Rebecca Luker Theatrical Partnership. The initiative, from Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and stage manager James FitzSimmons, helps widen audience outreach to underserved communities.
The partnership’s work with Richards will revolve around Clear Space’s upcoming production of Jeff Talbott’s “The Submission,” directed by and starring Richards.
“The family I have at Clear Space Theater has been so good to me,” Richards said. “When I first worked with [Artistic Director] David Button in 2019, we clicked right away, and before we knew it, we were having deep conversations about my experiences with theater and my life. I shared with David what I hoped for in the future and, since then, he has been my number one supporter.”
After working at Clear Space in the summer of 2020, they offered her the chance to direct any show of her choosing.
“Once I selected the show, I asked to add on a stipulation,” Richards said. “That being me wanting to explore the deep, inner workings of what goes into making a theater successful, and he was ready to take on that challenge alongside me. So when James FitzSimmons reached out to David wanting to do a partnership, he saw a perfect opportunity to connect us. I was more than elated when David called me and shared his excitement about the show I had selected, and this opportunity aligned so perfectly with what I was trying to accomplish. It feels so good to finally have a partnership that is so dedicated to representation on all fronts when it comes to theater.”
Christina M. Kirk, director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, said the school is proud to have her receive this partnership.
“I’ve enjoyed being in dialogue with Karen as an engaged alum of the program,” Kirk said. “I applaud her leadership in initiating these important conversations about representation in theatre.”
In “The Submission,” playwright Danny Larsen has written a complex new drama about an African-American family trying to get out of the projects, and it has just been selected for the nation’s preeminent play festival. The problem is Danny, a young white playwright, submitted the work under a pen name in hope of increasing its chances for production. So he hires a black actress to stand in for him as the author. What starts as a terrible idea becomes more and more terrible, as he drags everyone down a long path of truth, lies, revelation and betrayal.
It was written by Husker alumnus Talbott (B.F.A. 1986) and won the inaugural Laurents/Hatcher Award for Best New American Play in 2011 and the NY Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for Outstanding New American Play in 2012.
“The funny thing is, I was so ready to say no to directing my own show because I had never done a full show before,” Richards said. “It actually took me going to Clear Space and seeing a performance for everything to click. As I watched the show, I also kept a close eye on the audience and their reactions to the atmosphere, and everything revealed itself. After the show, I went to David and said, ‘I have the perfect play for you.’ I re-read the play the next day, and then our story started.”
Richards said her vision for this show, which runs June 3-5 at Clear Space Theatre, is to start a conversation.
“The main focus is returning to the principle of holding up that mirror to society,” she said. “When you come to see this show, you will see yourself on that stage, and in doing so, we will reflect and try to come up with the answer to a complex issue that is systemic in nature.”
As part of the Luker Partnership, Richards will be doing outreach to local schools and community groups to help adults and children explore theatre and the opportunities it has to offer.
“Alongside that I will be learning more about stage management, budgeting, what it means to be an artistic director, what goes into putting a season together, donations, etc.,” she said. “Being the first recipient has its perks because as we continue to reflect on our goals, we are still walking though all that can be accomplished within our time together. Which makes it even more exciting because I love being a busy bee.”
FitzSimmons created the Luker Partnership in honor of his colleague and friend, Rebecca Luker, who passed away in 2020 from ALS. Richards said this partnership is important.
“It has taken into account that people of color have been so limited when it comes to theater,” she said. “The Luker Partnership realizes for a change to truly happen representation matters on stage, behind the desk, backstage, in the offices, etc. Being able to get into schools and let students of color know that there is a space for them to speak their minds is something I truthfully treasure deeply.”
Richards said the audience also has an important role when it comes to the conversation about representation.
“We need them to be more open-minded. I want audiences to acknowledge that unless the story’s plot concentrates on race relations, gender identity, etc., anyone can play the part because each actor will bring with them different experiences that will make the character unique,” she said. “To ensure important stories are told and representation is present, audiences need to show up and show out to celebrate performers of color. Donate to your local theaters so that they can do more outreach in the community and make opportunities for those who may not be able to afford it. But most importantly, be open to change and learning something new.”
Originally from Jamaica, Richards lived in West Point, Nebraska, prior to coming to UNL.
“Being a Jamaican immigrant, when my mother, two older sisters and I moved to America, never in a million years did we think that we would be separated, yet alone end up in Nebraska. Back then American was just New York City, Florida and Hollywood to us,” Richards said. “We all see the foster stories, and mine wasn’t all that different. Trying to fit in somewhere you knew you did not belong, trying to basically raise yourself, going through crisis and trauma, but still having to go to school with a smile on your face, and no one was the wiser.”
Then, she found theatre, which changed her life.
“When I entered high school, I challenged myself to do things that were out of character for me and that’s when I started doing theater,” she said. “Once I started, I no longer had to suffer in silence. I then realized that I connected to most, if not all, of the characters in the shows I would read, and I saw that I understood the character’s actions whether it was selfish or selfless. It was weird because for the first time expressing myself was celebrated, and I started being seen as Karen, not just the black girl from the Catholic school. Through theater I get a release that I don’t really know how to put into words yet. Theater helps me —let things go.”
When she was a senior in high school, she turned down the opportunity to go to any theatre program and chose music education instead with the intention of pursuing theatre later.
“It took performing a show with Kristin Chenoweth and hearing her passion to change my mind,” Richards said. “As she spoke to us, it felt like she was talking to me personally. I realized that God was trying to push me back on the path I belonged. I haven’t turned back since.”
Richards said her experience majoring in theatre performance and minoring in musical theatre at Nebraska taught her to strive for better and to face adversity.
“I have my voice teacher Alisa Belflower to thank for helping me realize that what I was trying to accomplish would always be faced with push back, at least at the time,” she said. “I also have a lot of our [Nebraska Repertory Theatre] guest artists to thank like Don Richard, Peej Mele, Leon Evans and Jamari Johnson Williams who always reminded me that I should keep my fire alive, and my time is coming.”
She was also involved with the student organizations Masquers and Theatrix.
“Masquers played a big role toward the end of my collegiate career as I was a part of keeping our student body informed especially when it came to exploring theater outside of the Midwest,” she said. “Our directing classes and Theatrix were also a great way for all the students to intermingle and learn from each other. And who can forget the Lied Center for Performing Arts and Sasha Dobson, who was always looking out for us and letting us know when there were master classes we could participate in or performances that students could be highlighted.”
Richards said her own experiences led her to this partnership.
“I want students of color to strive to play roles that don’t say ‘character, Asian woman, must have Filipino dialect.’ I want us to read a show, fall in love with a character and bring them to life. We should strive more for color-conscious, not color-blind casting,” Richards said. “Once again, this is a systemic issue that exists in most, if not all, theatre programs. We get the students of color so we can do plays like ‘Dutchman’ and musicals like ‘Ragtime,’ but other than being seasoning on bland food, we do not serve any other purpose and are forced to make good out of a so-so situation.”
She encourages students to create their own opportunities.
“Go to all of the auditions, read more plays, sign up for new play exchange, sign up for actors access, keep updated with Playbill, and if you’re not having fun, ask yourself why and go from there,” Richards said. “Trust me when I say do all of this NOW, prepare yourself for what’s to come, go and explore, and finally, find the things/places that help remind you why you chose to do what you do.
“One quote that has stuck with me since I started this journey is, ‘I am in competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I am simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday.’”
For more on Clear Space Theatre Company’s production of “The Submission,” visit their website at https://go.unl.edu/07hj.