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Please silence all devices and refrain from taking photos during the performance.
Performed by: Breanna Ghostone, Arlieta Hall, Kaleb Jackson,
Samuel B. Jackson, Deshawn Mason, Faith Valerie
Directed By: Rob Wilson
Associate Director: Tony Santiago
Choreographer: Breon Arzell
Lighting Designer: Brenden Marble
Wardrobe Stylist: Chelsey Carter
Stage Manager: Devonte E. Washington
Music Director: Sean Sykes
Producer: Bryon Henderson
Additional Writing by: Trumane Alston, Adonis Holmes, Asia Martin, and The Casts of The Second City
Second City is a professional production employing members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers.
A message from the Director
Rob Wilson
The Ensemble
Breanna Ghostone
BREANNA GHOSTONE (Ensemble) holds a Master’s degree in Opera and Musical Theatre Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Opera Performance from The University of Michigan. Notable performances include Hairspray (Power Center for Performing Arts), Legally Blonde The Musical (Evelyn Smith Theatre), West Side Story (The Phoenix Theatre Company), Sing Out Second City! (The Second City), New Faces Sing Broadway 1947 (Porchlight Theatre), and Trouble in Mind (TimeLine Theatre). Film projects include The Detroit Project and The FUNNEL, both of which explore themes of black love, displacement, and resilience. Breanna is thrilled to be back at Second City for the Black Excellence Revue! Breanna is represented by Gray Talent.
Arlieta Hall
ARLIETA HALL (Ensemble) is a host, actress, improviser, stand-up comedian, writer, and a first-time filmmaker from Chicago. She is one of The Second City NBC Bob Curry Fellowship recipients. Arlieta also co-starred as Sadie on Showtime’s The CHI episodic and is a co-producer of the comedy variety show My Best Friend is Black. Arlieta was a caregiver for her father who died from Alzheimer’s disease. She took the power of “Yes, and…” to communicate with him and used their story to make her first feature documentary “Finding Your Laughter”. Her film was one of ten documentaries selected to participate in The New York Gotham Documentary Feature Lab, which is one of the US film industry’s most prestigious labs. She wrote and performed in The Second City’s Dance Like There are Black People Watching and is now a 2023-24 Sisters in Cinema Documentary Fellow. She is co-producing My Best Friend Black, and performing comedy all around while she continues to work on the completion of Finding Your Laughter and other projects. Follow her on Ig to stay in the loop at Arlieta _Hall_.
Kaleb Jackson
KALEB JACKSON (Ensemble) is a Chicago-based performer who is part of the Queerbait improv team and the Jewish Comedy Project. They are honored to be understudying this year’s Black Excellence Show, especially since they usually spend their nights watching documentaries or reading self-help books—exciting right?… For business inquiries, kalejohnjackson@gmail.com.
Samuel B. Jackson
Deshawn Mason
DESHAWN MASON (Ensemble) Born in New York City, raised in the South, Deshawn started his comedic journey over 11 years ago in Charleston, SC. His first foray into the art form was stand-up comedy. Now over a decade into the process, Deshawn has performed nationwide. Hitting multiple stages for comedy festivals, headlining gigs, and anything he can sink his teeth into. Deshawn’s love and exploration truly in Savannah, GA in 2021, just two years later, and over 300 different improv shows he’s excited to share what he’s learned. He’s also an aficionado of Magic, Sketch Comedy, Acting, food, and conversation. He can’t wait to meet you.
Faith Valerie
FAITH VALERIE (Ensemble) (she/her) is an actress, writer, dancer, singer, and model from Plainfield, IL. Her Second City career began while understuding for Dance Like There Are Black People Watching. She attended the University of Notre Dame, with a focus in Musical Theatre, as well as studied dance at Illinois Dance Academy and Revolution Dance Studio. She has school ties to two people in the show, guess who?! She is an accomplished model having photographed campaigns for Nike and walking runway shows for many designers in Chicago and New York. She loves her 7 siblings who are funnier than her, her parents, and nieces and nephews very much. She is also a House music head and you can find her following her DJ friends around the city. You can also find her playing with improv groups Crop-Top Comedy and Hot Girl Comedy and on Instagram @faithvaleriee. She is represented by 10MGMT with a partnership from Grossman & Jack Talent.
ROB WILSON (Director, he/him) is so proud of this amazing cast and crew. He made his Second City Directorial debut with SuperAfroWavyDrippy-ExtraBrillantDope Show. He has since directed Dance Like There are Black People Watching here and created the film projects Lil Monsters and The Basement. Rob is repped by Stewart Talent and you can see what he’s working on at his IG @Rob_Willsun
TONY SANTIAGO (he/him, Associate Director) is a creative engineer centering technology to help connect people to the arts. Santiago manages Arts + Public Life’s Performance Residency and teaches the Community Actor’s Program for high-school-aged youth at Green Line Performance Arts Center in Washington Park. Professional credits include Community Data Manager for We Will Chicago with Honey Pot Performance, Spinning Home Movies with the South Side Home Movie Project Producer, and Editor and Technical Director of the Rapid Response Series with Illinois Humanities. Tony currently sits on the board of the Katherine Dunham Center in East Saint Louis. When not working, Tony enjoys cooking, biking, and watching movies on the big screen.
BRENDEN MARBLE (he/him, Lighting Designer) Is excited to be coming back to Second City! After studying theater design at Eastern Michigan University, the Detroit MI native moved to Chicago to start living their dream of becoming a lighting designer! Recent credits include A Hit Dog Will Holler (Artemisia Theatre), Fairview (Definition Theater), Currents (Chicago Fringe Opera), and Dance Like There Are Black People Watching (Second City Chicago). Even though his career is just beginning, he knows this is something he wants to do for the rest of his life.
SEAN SYKES (he/him, Music Director) is excited to be behind the keys playing live shows again! Sean has done musical direction for the Second City e.t.c. Mainstage, and Touring Company as well as the Bob Curry and NBC Universal showcases. Sean earned a bachelor’s in Music Education at the University of Mississippi, and is happily still using that amazing diploma to teach fourth grade music at the university of Chicago laboratory schools in Hyde Park. Sean gives a special thanks to producers, the amazing cast, everyone behind the scenes, and you our audience members. Enjoy the show!
BRYON HENDERSON (Producer, he/him) is a Chicago native and Producer for The Second City National Touring Company. He has his Bachelor of Music from the University of Miami, FL with emphasis on Music Business and Performance in Voice and on Viola. He has worked with many award-winning and national recording artists to produce live events and concerts. Bryon has worked for Second City Works and served as Producer for SuperAfroWavyDrippyExtra-BrilliantDopeShow, and Dance Like There Are Black People Watching. He is currently co-starring in My Wife , 3 kids and a dog. 06!
CHELSEY CARTER (Stylist), native to Saint Louis MO, moved to Chicago in 2006 in efforts of pursuing her dreams to become a well-known designer. She applied and was accepted to The Art Institute – Chicago. Chelsey focuses on the abstract for inspiration for her designs. Her brand, Alex Carter which she launched in 2015, is unisex, catering to customers who are risk-taking and statement-making. Her goal is to exude sensuality in her clothing without having to bare it all. One of her biggest role models is her grandmother, who embodies everything she strives to be as a woman and feeds her drive as a designer. Her jackets can be seen on SZA and Chance the Rapper, and she has sold to Erykah Badu. She has been featured in Vogue Italia and many other magazines such as Verluxe, SunTimes and Tribune. The Alex Carter brand is known for creating everyday clothes for not so everyday people.
DEVONTE E. WASHINGTON (Stage Manager) is a Chicago native built up his skills in Backstage production. He has molded his skills by learning the aspects of designing and building shows from scratch he found his home in Theater. His Talents have been used with many events, venues and shows throughout the city. Getting better with every show he wants to continue to get better at what he does while continuously learning more and more .This will be his second time working on the Black Excellence Show and He is excited for you to see this show.
BREON ARZELL (Choreographer) is a dedicated teaching artist, specializing in hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, lyrical and body percussion; and serves as mentor to several universities, studios and theaters. Chicago: How Blood Go (Congo Square Theatre), Dance Like Black People are Watching (Second City), Kill Move Paradise* (TimeLine Theatre), The Color Purple (Drury Lane), The Wiz, Head Over Heels*, American Psycho (Kokandy Productions), The Total Bent* (Haven Theatre), The House That Will Not Stand (Victory Gardens), Marie Christine, The Scottsboro Boys, Little Shop of Horrors, The Hairy Ape* and more. Regional: Dreamgirls (Goodspeed Musicals), RENT & The Color Purple (MUNY), FELA! & Miss You Like Hell (Olney Theatre), Once on This Island (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Acoustic Rooster (Kennedy Center). TV: South Side, The 4400. While working internationally, he is listed among the ‘50 Players for Chicago’ (2018, 2020, 2023), and recipient of 6 Jeff Awards*. Along with developing original works, he is restoring and reviving a historical black musical. @breonarzell // www.breonarzell.com
TRUMANE ALSTON (Writer) is an actor and writer based in Chicago, IL.
Understudies
Justin Banks
JUSTIN BANKS (playing the roles of Samuel B. Jackson) is an actor, writer, and musician based in Chicago. He grew up in Bolingbrook, IL, and discovered improv at Vanderbilt University. Since moving to Chicago, Justin’s studied improv at Second City, The Annoyance Theater, and iO! He also trained at Black Box Acting Academy. Justin has had the recent honor of performing as the lead in “Steamworks the Musical” at The Annoyance Theater and is currently performing on the resident improv teams at iO! Thank you to Vanderbilt’s Tongue ‘N’ Cheek improv comedy for pushing Justin to pursue his truth. And thank you to Justin’s family for not bringing up law school too often. You can follow Justin on instagram @jbaby_banks
Mikaela Johnson
MIKAELA JOHNSON (playing the roles of Arlieta Hall) was born and raised in Detroit, Mi and is a recent graduate of Western Michigan University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. She is happy to have Second City be her first professional job in Chicago. She thanks her family, teachers and agents for believing in her and helping her pursue her dreams.
Alfonzo Solomon Kahlil
ALFONZO SOLOMON KAHLIL (playing the roles of Deshawn Mason) is a poet, playwright, and performance artist, raised on the W(b)estside of Chicago, who believes whatever doesn’t kill you, makes for great art. Dramatist of SCORPIO & THE NEW / NEW TESTAMENT, alfonzo’s art utilizes the polyphony of spoken word and performance as a medium to explore the realm of the profane, the profound, the sacred, and the taboo of the interpersonal. alfonzo holds a BFA in theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and is represented by Stewart Talent. alfonzo was previously seen in The Island (Court u/s John), Allegiance (Goodman), The Dream Engine (Kirby), Track 13 (Young Fugitives), The Seekers (Bushwick), Lectures (Cloud), EFFICIENCY (Dixon), HOLD UP, CANNABITCHES, and CHICAGO FIRE.
Wanjiku Kairu
WANJIKU KAIRU (playing the roles of Breana Ghostone) is a comedy writer, producer and singer and is thrilled to get black to her roots with this talented cast. Off stage, Wanjiku works with a wide range of producers in short films, commercials and print ads. She produces her musical comedy webseries Models, as well as comedy shorts RuPaul’s Space Race, and Girl Meets God. Wanjiku can also be found understudying for the latest e.t.c show, Oh the Places You’ll Glow. She is so thankful to the Black Excellence cast and crew for their hard work throughout the production process.
Kelton Neals
KELTON NEALS (playing the roles of Kaleb Jackson) is from Muskogee, Oklahoma and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from Oklahoma State University. Since moving to Chicago, Kelton has participated in The Second City’s Shows and The Second City’s Directors Revue as a writer and actor. Along with his friend and comedy partner, Kelton wrote and performed in the two-person comedy show Better You Than Me. You can see Kelton at the IO theater performing with House Team Whimsy Lohan and with the cast of Real Housewives of IO. Most recently Kelton was part of the 2023-2024 Bob Curry Fellowship with The Second City.
Brittany Neloms
BRITTANY NELOMS (playing the roles of Faith Valerie) is thrilled to be part of “Black Excellence” with Second City! She is a poet, model, actor and public speaker and has loved being on stage since she was 3 years old. She is beyond grateful to be returning to the stage after a long hiatus from the theatre. She has performed in many on-stage productions, such as Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Cinderella, her favorite role being Motormouth Maybelle. She is also a two-time national finalist with the American Forensics Association and National Forensics Association for her dramatic interpretive performance “Jezelle the Gazelle”. In her free time, Brittany volunteers at her alma mater, UIC, coaching and judging for their competitive Speech Team.
J’KQWAN SMITH (Understudy Stage Manager) (They/Them) was born and raised on the southside of Chicago, they have been working in live production since they were 14 years old. They are happy to be able to work as an understudy stage manager for The Black Excellence Show at The Second City.
KAI ELISE (Understudy Music Director) is a queer Chinese-American music director, pianist, and musical comedian. She participated in the inaugaural Victor Wong Fellowship, the first all-Asian cast at Second City and now tours with BlueCo. You can find her playing high-energy dueling piano shows or rocking out with Chicago Loud 9, an original funk and pop band. Her debut album called A Love Letter To My Self-ish uses singer-songwriter and Jazz influences. In her downtime, she plays with fire by firespinning or attempting to grill the most perfectly crispy salmon.
TONY BELSITO (Understudy Musical Director) is a Chicago-based musician and performer originally from Duluth, Minnesota. Previous MD credits include Second City’s HouseCo, TourCo, SuperAfroWavyDrippyExtraBrilliantDopeShow, and Dance Like There Are Black People Watching. Guitarist for Kid Copter, studio musician for Ersatz Records, and releaser of original music streaming under my name, Tony Belsito. If you’d like to know more, just ask. Yes, you can have a link to the playlist.
