In conjunction with the Culture C.O-O.P. and Bike City Theater Company, graduate students Joseph Fletcher and J.R. Yancher in the Department of Theatre and Dance present Sankofa as their MFA theses.  

Sankofa is a new play adapted from UC Davis alumna Sandy Lynne Holman’s award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad? This collaboration is the culmination of a year and a half of interning and learning by Fletcher and Yancher at Culture C.O.-O.P. under director Sandy Lynne Holman (B.A., psychology). Its focus is the praxis of a new work creation process in co-design with non-arts community partners in order to help further their goals and aspirations. Holman and Yancher co-wrote Sankofa along with alumnus Jordan Brownlee (B.A., cinema and digital media ‘20).  

This workshop production will be performed April 1, 2 and 9 at 7 p.m. and April 3 and 10 at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis (203 E 14th St.). Admission is “Pay what you can” at the door. 

About the show: Montsho who does not like his Black skin. Head hung low, he and his parents visit Grandpa for their first Kwanzaa celebration. Grandpa sizes up the situation and turns to the family Sankofa book, which expresses the importance of reaching back to knowledge gained in the past and bringing it into the present to address universal questions of race and belonging. Black historical figures leap off the page as they tell stories of ancient Kemet, barnstormers, Black Wall Street, and more. The family brings the principles of Kwanzaa to life and strengthens their bonds and rediscovers the heritage that comes with being Black.

Directed by graduate student Edward Talton-Jackson with support from Fletcher who is producer and creative supervisor, the play features UC Davis students and alumni onstage and behind the scenes. The cast includes Jasmine Washington (B.A., theatre and dance, ‘18) and undergraduate student V’santi Tobey. Offstage alumna Melissa Cunha (B.A., theatre and dance and cinema and digital media) and undergraduate student Madeline Weissenberg are the stage managers.   

This workshop production is made possible thanks to the generous support of Yolo Arts, UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance, The City of Davis Arts and Cultural Affairs Fund, and Yolo Federal Credit Union.