In Search of Eckstine: A Love Story

Vincent is in his 12th season with Shadow and has been seen in such Shadow productions as Day of Absence, Bourbon at the Border, Little Tommy Parker's Celebrated Colored Minstrel Show, Sweet Corner Symphony, Two Trains Running, The African Theatre Company Presents Richard III and Soul Survivor.

Dee is a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, producer classically-trained and played trombone/bass trombone for the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra before becoming one of two African-Americans noted for making a career singing tejano (tex-mex) music in the early 1990s. Since moving to Colorado , he has enjoyed working at Shadow Theatre Company and El Centro Su Teatro as musician, actor and music director.

Dwayne is in his 14th season with Shadow Theatre, having previously been seen in the last two remounts of In Search of Eckstine: A Love Story; Day of Absence; The African Company Presents Richard III; The Evils of Tobacco; Fences; Come Back Little Sheeba; My Children, My Africa (for which he won a Marlowe Award for Best Actor) and Two Trains Running.

The Artistic Director of Shadow Theatre Company has been involved in the performing arts for more than thirty years as director, performer, choreographer, writer and teacher. Hugo is a recipient of the Colorado Council of the Arts 1997 Fellowship for his play Voices From the Soul, and a 2002 finalist in the nationally renowned Jerome Fellowship with his play The Sisters, Sweetwater (next season’s opening production). He has spent the last four season's working as the director for Shadow's Youth Ensemble CRUNK (Creative Resources Uniting Neighborhood Kids)- a program for young performing artists. Hugo has directed such productions as My Children, My Africa! (Marlowe Award for Best Director); Topdog/Underdog (Ovation Award for Best Drama) & Shadow’s best-selling Smokey Joe’s Café. He has also appeared in productions such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Fences, Two Trains Running and The Life & Times of Ol’ Alfred.

This is Kiana’s second role in a Shadow Theatre Company production, having previously performed in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as “Dussie Mae”. She also enjoys wearing various other hats at Shadow (being the house manager and current props and costume designer), and is grateful for this experience on so many levels. This performance is dedicated to her Grandmother Sara Martha, who has broken many barriers as classically trained jazz pianist here in Denver and the Midwest. Thank you Mom for sharing all of your memories with me about your career and about The Five points in it’s hey day.

ShaShauna is in her 10th season with Shadow Theatre Company and has been seen in such Shadow productions as In or Out! Doing Time?; Not Here; Come Back Little Sheeba; Bourbon at the Border and Dinah Was. She was also an understudy for the role of “Molly Cunningham” in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and “Rain Richardson” in An Evening with Nina. ShaShauna has been performing in Colorado
for the bulk of her life. Doing In Search of Eckstine is bitter-sweet for her, as she wanted to do this show since she was 19 with her father Jeffrey Nickelson, but God had a different plan. She is thankful for being able to do the show her father loved so much and knows he would be proud. She would like to thank her family for being so supportive and Hugo Jon Sayles for being there her in more ways than she can count. This show is dedicated to Jeffrey Nickelson: “You brought light to shadows!”

Ashlie is so thrilled to be making her 3rd appearance with the Shadow Theatre Company in In Search of Eckstine. You’ve seen her in The Wedding Singer (Ensemble), A Christmas Carol, The Musical (Ghost of Christmas Past), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Whynona), Rent (Joanne), All Shook Up (Ensemble, US Lorraine), Miss Saigon (Yvette, US Ellen) The Fantastick’s (Luisa), Oscar & Felix (Hoolya), Smokey Joe’s Café (Delee), and Anything Goes (Bonnie). Be on the look out for her solo recording projects through As Is-No Warranty Music Incorporated and Kimble Media Group which are expected to release this year. For other Ashlie-Amber Harris events/performances go to ashlieharris.com. Mom I love you, you are my biggest fan, my heart and soul, and this show is dedicated to you! Stay strong........

Based on the romantic poem Tristan and Isolde, this is a modern urban tale of true love and a misguided wish. 1955 in the five-points in Denver, on a magical night the world is set in motion with the return of local legend Tristan Williams, who has come back to his true love Misty. But now he must contend with her gangster husband.