Behind the Curtain

“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf” tells the story of seven women of color who find unity through the shared oppression of a racist and sexist society to form a sisterhood through stories of love, empowerment, struggle and loss. The play will be performed by the SUNY New Paltz theater department between February 28 and March 10, 2019 at McKenna Theater.

All stories edited and packaged by Katie Donlevy and Brandi Sutfin.

Emily Kimoto is a Long Island native who has been mesmerized by the theater since the age of two. She enrolled at SUNY New Paltz to pursue her passion, which has since flourished into a career path. Kimoto mans the For Colored Girls production as the assistant stage manager, hoping to help the audience feel the same mesmerization for the theater that she always had.

Why did you choose to come to New Paltz?

I chose New Paltz because of the incredible theater program. I knew New Paltz was for me when I first stepped on McKenna stage. It hit me like ‘Wow, this place is awesome! I want to go here and pursue my dream.’ When I was two years old, I saw my first Broadway show. I was mesmerized by the whole spectacle. I then took up acting, singing and dancing classes when I was five, and continued in high school through technology and stage management.

What does theater mean to you?

Theater is something I live, breathe and put my heart, soul and passion into everyday. It’s part of my roots that make me who I am today.

What responsibilities do you have as assistant stage manager?

I have many jobs and tasks. My team and I always show up 30 minutes before rehearsal. I start by cleaning up the stage and prepare hot tea for the actors/actresses. At the end of the rehearsal I then write up a report, which consists of the schedule for the next day’s rehearsal as well as call times for the actors. I’m also in charge of writing up the production meeting reports.

How important would you describe your role in a play?

Very; The management team is very important to keeping the show on schedule as well as keeping all areas of the show informed from the production report. I keep track of costumes and ensure each member’s safety on stage.

Theater is something I live, breathe and put my heart, soul and passion into everyday. It’s part of my roots that make me who I am today.

What are some emotions you go through on show day?

I go through a lot of emotions on show day. I’m nervous before each performance, then excited after it is said and done. I cry at end of the last show knowing it’s over and that I won’t be seeing everyone everyday.

How do you deal with crisis? (i.e. missed cues with actors or stage crew.)

It depends on the situation, most crisis situations are handled by finding the root of the problem in which we then resolve. From conflict to missed cues, we just keep moving forward and go over what happened after.

What are some of your future goals and aspirations upon graduation?

When I graduate I hope to get a stage management job in a theatre, whether it’s as a production assistant, assistant stage manager or production stage manager. I hope to one day be a production stage manager for a Broadway musical. I also hope that one of my shows gets Tony nominated so I can experience the Tony Awards. It’s been a dream of mine to just attend the Tony’s since I was 8 years old.

Read more #ForColoredGirls features here:

Lani Volino pulls the strings and leads the show as she tries her hand as the Stage Production Manager

Stefanie Workman plays the Lady in Brown, but is also responsible for elevating the magic and power of the show through her skills as a hair and makeup artist.

Tatiana Saintilus plays the Lady in Yellow, the brightest personality of the show and a character that required delving into the mind of to understand her naivety.

Ifeoma Ukatu appears as the Lady in Orange, a character that embodies Ntozake Shange’s creation of choreopoetry: dramatic expression that combines song, dance, poetry and music.

Deborah Crumbie plays the Lady in Red, a character she was able to identify with after finding parallels between herself and the onstage persona.

Clarissa Mota is the brains of the operation: the dramaturg. Mota is responsible for knowing background information, research and various knowledge of the show to assist all crew members put on an accurate production

Emily Kimoto serves as the Assistant Stage Manager, assisting in backstage management to help run the show as smoothly as possible.



William Ryder

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“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf” tells the story of seven women of color who find unity through the […]

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