February 12 – March 23, 2025

In This Program

About the Show
Note From Tiffany Maltos, Adrienne Dillard-Coons Director of Education & Engagement
Note from Jacole Kitchen, Director
Cast and Creative
Events
Print Edition
More About Seattle Children’s Theatre

About the Show

This presentation of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen was made possible by the generosity of our Donors and Sponsors.

Season Sponsors:

ArtsFund
Microsoft
The Shubert Foundation

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

Government Partners:

4Culture
ArtsWA
Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

Show Sponsors:

National Endowment for the Arts

Seattle Children’s Theatre Presents...

The Hula Hoopin’ Queen

From the book by Thelma Lynne Godin,
Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Adapted by Gloria Bond Clunie

Directed by Jacole Kitchen

The HULA-HOOPIN’ QUEEN. Text copyright © 2014 by Thelma Lynne Godin. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Stage Play copyright © 2022 by Gloria Bond Clunie. Permission arranged with LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., New York, NY 10016. All rights reserved. Learn more at leeandlow.com

Cast

Michelle Blackmon Miz Adeline
Kataka Corn* Kameeka Sankofa Hayes
Rebecca M. Davis* Miss Evelyn/Jamara’s Mother
Aishé Keita Mama (Mrs. Caroline Hayes)
Niyah Reid Anita “Jamara” Washington
Lexi Warden Portia Maria Johnson
Ally Poole* Understudy Mama, Miz Adeline, & Miss Evelyn
Neely Seams Understudy Kameeka, Jamara, & Portia

Creative

Jacole Kitchen Director
Parmida Ziaei Scenic Designer
Danielle Nieves^ Costume Designer
Darren W. McCroom Lighting Designer
Eliza Vedar Sound Designer
Arlene Smith Hula-Hoopin’ Coach
Heather M. Brose Stage Manager
P. Alyda Sorm Assistant Stage Manager

Photo and video capture of any kind (including your mobile device) is prohibited during this performance.

The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen is 60 minutes, no intermission.

*Actors Equity Association Member ^United Scene Artists Member, Local 829

**Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Member

Summary

“Around and around the hoops went that day. Circles connecting a community.”

Three Harlem girls vie for the crown of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, encouraged and mentored by the community elders in master playwright Gloria Bond Clunie’s spirited adaptation of Thelma Lynne Godin’s book. A sweet, funny, and energetic slice-of-life reminder of the essential loops that bind our communities.

Themes

FRIENDSHIP – Friendship looks different for everyone but is always important and worth holding on to. Friends can be kind, always cheering you on, or someone who pushes you to be a better version of yourself. In The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen Kameeka is shown how Jamara’s friendship makes her a stronger person. She also learns that true friendship comes when you bring everyone together and share your love and support. The play reminds us that good friends are there to make us strong and help us grow.

LOVE – We are all able to give and receive love. Who we love, and how we show our love, is always our own choice. In The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, we see how love can be found in family, friends, and a community. Love brings us together and gives us the power to beat any challenge thrown our way. The play also reminds us that sometimes winning is not about competitions, but it’s about the people we care about and share our hearts with. When we are surrounded by the people we love, then we are all winning!

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY – Families are super special for people. Whether they’re the ones we are born into or the ones we choose, families are the people who care for us every step of the way. In The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, the audience sees how a community of people can be like a family too. When people come together to support, care, and love each other, a family-like bond can form and that is just as special.

COMPETITION – In The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, Kameeka works really hard to win a competition with her friend Jamara. Her determination to win shows how when we work hard, we can achieve great things. But sometimes, the most important competition is within ourselves. We can challenge ourselves to become better and stronger. When we put in the effort to improve and grow, that is when we truly win.

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Note From Tiffany Maltos

Adrienne Dillard-Coons Director of Education & Engagement

Thelma Lynne Godin’s The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen is a radiant gem in children’s literature, offering a touching narrative that is as fun as it is profoundly meaningful. At its core, the story celebrates the everyday moments of delight that make life worth living. On the stage, Gloria Bond Clunie’s masterful retelling reveals itself as so much more—it becomes an ode to the beauty of community, the power of intergenerational relationships, and the resilience of Black joy.

Set against the backdrop of a bustling urban neighborhood, the story follows Kameeka, a spirited and determined young girl vying for the title of “The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen.” Her lively ambition takes an unexpected turn when her plans to dominate the Hula-Hoopin’ competition clash with her responsibility to help prepare for her neighbor, Miz Adeline’s, birthday celebration.

One of the story’s most striking elements is its intergenerational thread, weaving a tender bond between Kameeka and Miz Adeline. For young audience members, the relationship between these two characters serves as an invitation to view elders as vibrant and enduring sources of wisdom and joy. For adults, it is a poignant reminder of the unbroken line of hope passed from one generation to the next—a thread that connects us all and will continue to be the legacy we leave behind.

As you watch, I hope you find The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen is more than a story about a spirited girl’s quest for hula-hooping greatness. It is an invitation for every family member to celebrate life’s small but profound moments, cherish the connections that bind us, and envision a world where every child, elder, and community member can find their rhythm—and keep it spinning.

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Note from Jacole Kitchen

Director

The world of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen takes place on a very specific block of Harlem, NY - 139th St, between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglas Blvd. The make up of this block is multigenerational, family, friendship, history, longevity, laughter, and love. This block is the epicenter of the community, and at the center of this community in is the hula-hoop. Friendships have been built and destroyed over hoopin’ on 139th St. for generations, and Miz Adeline has been there from the beginning. She is there to ensure that at the center of the hoop is always love.

The play weaves in the concept of Sankofa, a Ghanaian expression meaning ‘to go back and get it.’ In our world, Sankofa is represented through Kameeka. Not only is it her middle name, but throughout the play Kameeka is faced with obstacles and opportunities to practice Sankofa. Even when she loses sight of herself, she can always return to her roots.

Kameeka and Jamara are the best of friends and fierce hula-hoopin’ competitors. For Jamara, there is no greater love than hoopin’. She is expertly skilled (for an 11-year-old) and is unapologetic in her confidence. And although Kameeka loves hoopin’ and wants to win the crown, Kameeka really just wants to be the best at something. She is in search of finding her greatness, and if she can beat Jamara then maybe that would prove that hoopin’ is that something for her. But what if it’s not?!

I relate to Kameeka deeply in this way. I was always sort of searching for that thing that I was great at. I was good at some things, but I wasn’t GREAT at any of them. I tried basketball, volleyball, threw shotput and discus, played flute in the band, and was on the diving team one year. But it wasn’t until I found the theatre that my passion was truly ignited. I took my first theatre class freshman year of high school and I was hooked. I got the itch bad.

For me, it was theatre. For Kameeka and Jamara, their passion is hoopin’. But for Portia, it comes from her flute. Music is the heartbeat of 139th St., and Portia’s flute is the melody. There is poetry seeped into the language of this play. There is a constant rhythm even when there isn’t music present. And it moves at the speed of at least 156 beats per minute. The music is a depiction of life on 139th St. It is fast, fun, fluid, and constantly in motion.

The community that makes up the block of 139th St between Frederick Douglass Blvd and Adam Clayton Powell in Harlem, NY creates an idyllic place to navigate all of the nuances of being a kid. Although the action of the play takes place all on this one block, for Kameeka, Jamara, and Portia, this one block is their entire world.

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Cast and Creative

CREATIVE

JACOLE KITCHEN
Director – Jacole Kitchen (She/Her) is the Director of Arts Engagement and In-House Casting at La Jolla Playhouse. Select directing credits include Manny and the Wise Queens by Idris Goodwin (Oceanside Theatre Company), Our Town (bilingual version – Mira Costa College), Suburban Black Girl by Zakiya Urbi Young (La Jolla Playhouse DNA New Works Series), Jin vs the Beach by Min Khan, Pick Me Last by Idris Goodwin, Light Years Away by Laura Schellhardt (La Jolla Playhouse POP Tour), Cardboard Piano by Hansol Jung (Diversionary Theatre), An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare (New Village Arts), and more. Visit jacolekitchen.com.

PARMIDA ZIAEI
Scenic Designer – Parmida Ziaei (She/Her) is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist and designer and the co-founder of Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble. Parmida has been a scenic and production designer for many Seattle theaters, including ACT Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, ArtsWest, Taproot Theatre, and Seattle Public Theater. When not designing, Parmida performs, choreographs, and teaches as a movement artist and serves as a consultant and curator. She has received multiple residencies, including the 2022 Northwest Creator Residency at Village Theatre. Visit parmidaziaei.com.

DANIELLE NIEVES
Costume Designer – Danielle Nieves (She/Her) is honored to make her SCT debut. Her work has been seen at The Old Globe, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, South Coast Repertory Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Writers Theatre, ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Village Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Cleveland Playhouse. Off-Broadway credits include Pity in History, No End of Blame, Gertrude The Cry, and Lovesong of the Electric Bear for PTP/NYC at the Atlantic Stage 2. Visit daniellenieves.com.

DARREN W. MCCROOM
Lighting Designer – Darren W. McCroom (He/Him) has been a lighting designer for over 30 years. Notable regional design credits include the Apollo Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alliance Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, La MaMa, Ford’s Theatre, and UCSB. International credits include works in Barbados, Rome, France, Mexico City, and South Korea. Darren is the recipient of several awards, including the Falstaff Theatre Design and Technology (TD&T) Award and the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Award. He teaches Lighting Design at Western Washington University and is an alumnus of The University of Illinois.

ELIZA VEDAR
Sound Designer – Eliza Vedar (She/They) is a sound designer, composer, music director, and pianist based in Southern California. Their work has been featured in productions with La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, TuYo Theatre, IAMA Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, and Moxie Theatre. Eliza has also worked with educational institutions including San Diego State University, CSU San Marcos, and the University of San Diego. Eliza holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance: Piano from San Diego State University. Visit elizavedar.com.

ARLENE SMITH
Hula-Hoopin’ Coach – Arlene Smith (She/Her) is a Seattle-based artist and community organizer who loves sharing her enthusiasm for practice, movement, and play. Arlene began poi spinning, hooping, and fire dancing in 2012 and is now the executive director of the Seattle Flow Arts Collective, a local nonprofit that creates opportunities for artistic exploration and community connection through circus arts and juggling. She hopes this play inspires you to pick up a hoop!

HEATHER M. BROSE
Stage Manager – Heather M. Brose (She/Her) has extensive credits, including Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors and Shakespeare Call & Response (ASM, Globe for All), The Little Prince (European Tour), Water by the Spoonful and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (CSFAC), and 13 seasons at San Diego Rep. Additional credits include Million Dollar Quartet, Noises Off, Big Fish (Lamb’s Players Theatre), Jin vs the Beach, Alice Chan (La Jolla Playhouse), and Salome and The Father, directed by Estelle Parsons for The Actors Studio.

P. ALYDA SORM
Assistant Stage Manager – P. Alyda Sorm (She/Her) is thrilled to return to Seattle Children’s Theatre! She is a second-generation Khmer American theatre artist, born and raised in King County. Recent credits include ASM for Black Nativity (Intiman), ASM for A Tale of Peter Rabbit (Seattle Children’s Theatre), SM for A Comedy of Errors (Seattle Shakespeare Company), and SM for Fellow Passengers (Strawberry Theatre Workshop). Alyda also serves as a producer for Pork Filled Productions. Outside of theatre, she enjoys spending time with her two rabbits and her family’s husky.

CAST

MICHELLE BLACKMON Miz Adeline – Michelle Blackmon’s recent stage appearances include Wiletta Mayer in Trouble In Mind (Burien Actor’s Theatre), Gloria B. in Po Boy Tango (Tacoma Little Theatre), Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Reboot Theatre), Agwe in Once on This Island, Feste the Fool in Twelfth Night, the Wicked Witch in Shrek the Musical, Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray (Twelfth Night Productions), and two seasons for Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Michelle has also worked as a director, choreographer, theatre arts instructor and performed in Uzbekistan in the Soviet Union as part of a cultural arts exchange.

KATAKA CORN Kameeka Sankofa Hayes – Kataka Corn (She/They) is delighted to make her debut at SCT! Select credits include Marian Anderson in My Lord, What a Night at Taproot Theatre Company; Erzulie in Once on This Island at Village Theatre; Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery; and Dorothy in The Wiz at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Much love!

REBECCA M. DAVIS Miss Evelyn / Jamara’s Mother – Rebecca M. Davis’ (She/Her) favorite Seattle roles include Miss Penny in the world premiere of Riverwood (Seattle Public Theatre), Lady Hunstanton in A Woman of No Importance (Taproot Theatre), Touchstone in As You Like It (Seattle Shakespeare), Duchess of Berwick in Lady Windermere’s Fan (Taproot Theatre), Agatha Christie in Vanishing Point (Seattle Public Theatre), Mrs. Brooks in Welcome to Braggsville (Book-It Repertory Theatre), and Sid in the West Coast premiere of Girl You Know It’s True for The Stay Up Late Show. In her Emcee life, Rebecca regularly hosts charity galas and burlesque revues around the Puget Sound.

AISHÉ KEITA Mama (Mrs. Caroline Hayes) – Aishé Keita (She/Her) is a Seattle-based actress, storyteller, educator, and healer. She is so grateful to be working on this production; storytelling is where she conjures her joy! She has been seen on stage in Fat Ham (Seattle Rep), Familiar (Guthrie Theatre/Seattle Rep), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Arkansas Rep, Jungle Theatre), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Book-It Theatre), and The Boy Who Kissed the Sky (SCT/Alliance). She is the Co-Artistic Director of Ase Theatre and will appear in their next production, Dispersed, at Langston Hughes Performing Arts.

NIYAH REID Anita “Jamara” Washington – Niyah Reid (They/Them) currently studies Theatre and Environmental Science at Western Washington University. In 2024, they received the KCACTF Region 7 “Irene Ryan Best Partner” Award. Past productions include Sophia in Big Scary Animals (Firehouse Theatre), Myra Arundel in Hay Fever (WWU), and Kia in American Prom (2024 KCACTF Region 7). Niyah is honored to make their Seattle debut with such a welcoming and inclusive theatre and would like to thank the family and friends who made working on this production possible.

LEXI WARDEN Portia – Lexi Warden (She/Her) is a theatre artist, educator, and advocate based in Seattle. She is overjoyed to make her SCT debut among such a fantastic group of artists. Recent credits include A Lonely Realization (Shattered Glass Project), Ozzie in Damn Yankees (Reboot), Lil Mama u/s in Stew (ACT), Intimacy Choreographer for Legally Blonde at Village Theatre KIDSTAGE, and Choreographer for Comedy of Errors at Seattle Shakespeare Company.

ALLY POOLE Understudy Mama, Miss Adeline, Miss Evelyn – Ally Poole (She/Her) is delighted to be making her SCT debut! Ally is an actor, sound artist, writer, and educator. She is a co-collaborator of the online performance collective Hot Cousin and an adjunct professor at Western Washington University. Ally holds an MFA in Advanced Theatre Practice from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a BFA in Acting from Stephens College. Credits include: Convention Singer/Ensemble in The Skin of Our Teeth (Seattle Rep), Chorus in Women of Troy (Arcola Theatre), Maribel Purdy in Crooked (Kitchen Theater Company), Soothsayer in Coriolanus (Shakespeare Dallas), and Mattie Berry in Hotel Berry (Tantrum Theater). Visit ally-poole.com.

NEELY SEAMS Understudy- Kameeka, Portia, Jamara – Neely Seams (She/Her) is thrilled to be working at Seattle Children’s Theatre! She is originally from the East Coast and has lived in Seattle for two years. She appeared as Martha in the touring premiere of West by God with Keegan Theatre in Washington, DC. Other roles include Antigone in Antigone (Alchemy Theatre), Mrs. Claus in Home for Christmas (Greenbrier Valley Theatre), and Julia in 1984 (Theatre ETC!). When she is not on stage, she is a teaching artist with South End Stories and enjoys plants, cats, and costuming. Enjoy the show!

SPECIAL THANKS

LiviJoyHoops

Loredo Malcolm

Nicole Suyama

Seattle Children’s Theatre is a member of TYA/USA, the national center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.

SCT is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre.

SCT is a proud member of International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY).

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions, and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. #EquityWorks.

Lighting, sound, staging, property, scenery, scenic art, and costume work at Seattle Children’s Theatre is performed by employees represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the US and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC.

Seattle Children’s Theatre works with the Stage Directors and Choreographers society.

The designers at this theatre are represented by United Scenic Artists (Local USA 829) of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

* Indicates members of the Actors’ Equity Association

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Events

Parent’s Night with Double Dutch Divas

Date: Saturday, February 22, 2025
Time: 2:30pm-6:30pm
Location: SCT Lobby
Free with registration
In partnership with Double Dutch Divas.

Connect with your inner Hula-Hoopin’ Queen and learn how to hula-hoop and double dutch with Seattle’s best! Led by local community organization Double Dutch Divas, this energetic session will teach you the basics of hula-hooping and double dutch jump roping in a supportive, upbeat environment.

Hula-Hoop and Double Dutch Freestyle

Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025
Time: 3:45pm-4:15pm
Location: SCT Lobby

Before the performance, jump in and show off your skills or try something new. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-timer, this playful pre-show activity is the perfect way to warm up, have fun, and set the stage for an exciting performance!

Circle of Love: Behind the Story

An Interactive Experience with Creators of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen
Date: Sunday, February 16, 2025
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Wy SW, Seattle, WA 98106)

We are thrilled to welcome the author, Thelma Lynne Godwin, and playwright, Gloria Bond Clunie, of The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen for a creative experience the whole family can enjoy! Dive into the heartwarming story behind the book and play, exploring themes of neighborhood love and community bonds. Through an interactive creative experience centered around “circle of love”, participants will celebrate their own community bonds and contribute to a collaborative work of art.