Grambling State News

GRAMBLING, La. – October 4, 2021– After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grambling State University is bringing theatre back with the stage play entitled 21A. The show, which runs Oct. 12-15 at the Floyd L. Sandle Theatre in the Conrad Hutchinson Performing Arts Center, is a comedy that delves into the lives of eight everyday passengers riding Bus 21A.  

It’s about “the people we see every day but may not bother to get to know,” said Kyle T. Zimmerman, an assistant theatre professor at GSU and the play’s director.  “21A is the bus route that runs to the other side of the tracks. Its regular passengers are the poor, homeless and hopeless.” 

They are thrown together during a bus hijacking and the audience gets a glimpse into their lives. 

“Just like real lives, their stories range from the comic, to the dramatic, to the tragic to the absurd,” Zimmerman explained. “What I love about the play is that it takes stereotypical characters from street life like the guy who talks to himself, a homeless drunk or a bag lady and gives us a more three-dimensional picture of those characters as people. You start out laughing at the characters but soon find yourself laughing with them and finally empathizing with them and relating to the struggle those characters face as human beings.”  

 Zimmerman said he and the cast are excited about bringing the show to theatre audiences. 

 “It’s great to be back in rehearsal and putting work on stage again,” he said. “Last year was hard for theatre artists because everything we do is about ensemble and community.  We were able to do some limited readings, playwriting exercises and puppetry on video but it’s not the same as staging a live performance.  Everyone came back ready to work.  I think missing a year made us appreciate being live and together that much more.”  

While the pandemic meant a change in the show that had been planned, it hasn’t put a stop to theatre. 

 “COVID has been a hurdle,” Zimmerman said. “Early in the summer when it looked like everything would be back to normal by the fall semester, we had selected a show called The Illusion.  That show is an 18th century fantasy melodrama with princesses, evil servants, pirates and even a wizard.  As August approached and the Delta Variant reared its ugly head, we decided that we could not do that show under COVID protocol.  I had directed 21A many years ago and remembered it had some aspects that really played into the COVID requirements.” 

 Llonte Harrison, a GSU senior from New Orleans, plays the lead role of Ron Huber, the driver of Bus 21A. Harrison is interested in becoming a film actor and sees performing on stage at GSU as a stepping stone to that goal.  He said he has a great time on stage especially when he “gets it right.”  

The other cast members are De’Lia Madison, a senior from New Orleans; Victoria Eggleston, a senior from Grand Prairie, Texas; Isaiah Johnson, a freshman from Pensacola, Florida; Je’Menique McNeil, a junior from Jonesboro, Louisiana; Jurnee Dilworth, a senior from Miami;  Dwedee Kobbah, a senior from Charleston, West Virginia; Steven Thompson, a senior from Franklinton, Louisiana; Jackson Featherstone, a junior from Austin, Texas; Mckinley Harbor, a freshman from Dallas; Madison Mason, a freshman from Bossier City, Louisiana; and  Tylur Woods, a junior from Dallas. 

The show is 80% monologues and only one actor appears and speaks at a time. 

“The show is short, so even though the audience will be masked, they won’t be sitting masked for more than an hour,” Zimmerman said.  “There will be unmasked actors on stage, but they will be at least 20 feet from the audience and never more than two unmasked people at a time on stage.”   

 Show dates and times: October 12, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. and October 14 at noon.  This show includes adult language and may not be appropriate for all audiences. 

 General admission is $5 for 12 and older, $1 for attendees under 12, and GSU students are free with a valid university ID. Contact: 318-274-2201 or gsuvapa@gram.edu. 

About Kyle T. Zimmerman/span>
Kyle T. Zimmerman is an assistant professor of theatre history at GSU beginning his third year of service.  He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from East Carolina University and an master of fine arts in directing from Virginia Commonwealth University.  He has directed over 20 university and professional productions. Zimmerman has also worked professionally as an actor on stage, film and television, a fight choreographer and playwright.  

About Grambling State University
Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university that was founded in 1901. The institution has been accredited by SACSCOC, 13 associations, and in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. A member of the University of Louisiana System, Grambling State University has the academic strengths of a major university with the benefits of a small college. Offering 43 undergraduate and graduate academic programs, the 590-acre campus is home to world-class athletics, an internationally renowned marching band, and vibrant student life that enable our scholars to grow and learn in a positive environment. For more information, visit gram.edu.