Pyramid Theatre Company, which intends to feature black actors and draw from plays by black playwrights, is announcing their opening season in Des Moines this summer. Ken Matt-Martin, founder and executive director of the company, says a company with this mission is needed.
“I went to Drake for undergrad, and after graduating, stayed and worked at Drake for a while and was working quite a bit as an actor in town. Typically, the only role specific to black men, the wise cracking secondary character to a white lead, and so, I kind of got frustrated with that.” Matt-Martin explains.
Matt-Martin produced and directed August Wilson’s “Fences” in 2014, and Pyramid Theatre Company grew out of that. There are seven founding members, all who were involved with that production. During this hour of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Matt-Martin and Tiffany Johnson, who is development director for the company.
Pyramid will host two productions this summer – Raisin in the Sun, and Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies. They’re hosting auditions at the end of this month, and they are casting actors of all races.
During the first two segments of the show, Nebbe talks with Kyle Munson of the Des Moines Register and Carol Spalding-Kruse about their series of conversations called #UniteIowa.
