Join us for the "ANT: In Search of the People’s Theatre" exhibition at Frost Library on Thursday, May 2, 2024, from 6:30-8:00 PM. Curated by students of the "Reclamation: Restoring the Black Legacy in American Theater" course, the exhibition explores the rich history and pioneering contributions of The American Negro Theatre and its founding members. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the often-overlooked ensemble members who paved the way for Black artists in the 1940s. Light refreshments will be provided.

Raffeal Sears is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. He last appeared in A Seat at the Table directed by Regina Taylor (Highlander Center). Regional Credits Include: The African Company Presents Richard III and Twelfth Night (Great River Shakespeare Festival.), A Christmas Carol (The Repertory Theater of St. Louis), Twelfth Night (Yale Repertory Theatre), a staged reading of Master Wilder and the Cabala (Goodman Theatre); Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); The Play of Adam (The Met Cloisters); Amazing the Change (Atlantic Theatre Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nashville Shakespeare Festival); Lost in the Part (Amity Hall); In the Blood (The New School) and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (The Coterie). Television and film credits include Chicago Fire (NBC), Cornered, Adventure Around the World and What We Used To Have. He is the recipient of the Shozo Sato: Excellence in Performance Award from UIUC. He is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. Raffeal received his MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign. www.raffealsears.com