Harold Ellis Clark 2025
For Immediate Release
Award-Winning Playwright Harold Ellis Clark to Speak, Share Reading at Loyola
Clark will share "The Power of Storytelling" and read excerpt from play
Contact:
Jamie Traynor
Marketing Communications Manager, Division of Student Development
Loyola University Chicago
773-508-3890 | jtraynor@luc.edu
Chicago—Loyola University Chicago’s Division of Student Development and the Rambler Brotherhood Project will welcome Harold Ellis Clark, an award-winning, New Orleans-based playwright to Lake Shore Campus on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. in the Crown Center Auditorium.
"I'm grateful to have Mr. Clark join us on campus and share this impactful presentation with our students," shared Jim Flavin, Director of Special Projects and Initiatives. "Every one of us has a special and unique personal story to tell, and each one of us has a story that deserves dignity and respect."
During the event, Clark will share a talk on “The Power of Storytelling,” exploring lessons from his experience as an artist and how students and young adults can take ownership of their narratives to shape their respective present and future.
Following his talk, Clark will share a reading of an excerpt from his play, Fishers of Men, a drama that explores the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and justice against the backdrop of a New Orleans megachurch led by reformed convicts who seek to bring young, troubled men into the fold of their ministry. Premiered in 2012, the play won Clark the Upstage Theatre’s 4th Annual Emerging Playwrights Project in 2013, making him the first Louisiana-based writer to win the award.
The live reading will be performed by a cast of professional actors, including Ronald L. Conner, Lionel Gentle, Willie B. Goodson, Chiké Johnson, and Ron Keaton, directed by Luther Goins.
The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend.
Event Details:
- What: The Power of Storytelling with Harold Ellis Clark at Loyola University Chicago
- When: Thursday, October 23, 2025
- Where: Crown Center Auditorium, 1001-25 W. Loyola Avenue, Chicago, IL
About Harold Ellis Clark
Harold Ellis Clark, author of 13 full-length plays, was awarded the 2023 Sherri Marina Memorial Grant (New Orleans, LA) for his play, Back in the Day, for which he also was named a 2020 Trustus Playwrights’ Festival (Columbia, SC) finalist, and a 2021 American Blues Theater (Chicago, IL) Blue Ink Playwrighting Award semifinalist. The Marina Grant supported a world premiere production of the play that occurred October 12-22, 2023 in New Orleans, LA. American Blues Theater (Chicago, IL) named Harold a featured finalist for the 2018 Blue Ink Playwriting Award for his play, Run No More, and produced a staged reading of the drama. Additionally, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (Winston Salem, NC) produced a staged reading of Run No More (February 2019). An in-person staged reading of Run No More, previously scheduled for April 17, 2020 at IATI Theater (New York, NY) as part of Cimientos 2020, occurred June 14, 2020 via Zoom due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.
Harold, who began writing plays in 2011, was named one of two finalists for the Stanley Drama Award an unprecedented three times for his plays Tour Detour (2013), Uncle Bobby ’63 (2015), and Madame Thames’ Spirit Bar (2016), during award ceremonies held at The Players Club in Manhattan, NY. He also was named a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2013 (Tour Detour), 2014 (We Live Here), and 2015 (Uncle Bobby ’63), and he traveled to Durban, South Africa for the South African premiere of We Live Here (2017). Harold has won playwriting awards from Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN) for We Live Here (2013) and UpStage Theatre (Baton Rouge, LA) for Fishers of Men (2013).
About the Cast
Ronald L. Conner (Vic)
Ron is honored to be a part of this special reading of Fishers of Men by Harold Ellis Clark. He has been fortunate enough to work at some of the premier theatres across the city, including Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Congo Square Theatre (Ensemble Member), and Timeline Theatre. Regional Theatre Credits Include: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, Olney Theatre, Geva Theatre of Rochester, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and Portland Stage Company. On the screen, Ron starred as “Paul Bettis” in the 2017 independent film Chasing the Blues currently available on Peacock and Amazon Prime. On television, Conner played “Bluto”, a recurring character on HBO MAX’s Southside.
Lionel Gentle (Dabarrow)
Lionel has been a professional actor in Chicago for more than 20 years. He has worked with Eclipse Theatre Company, Congo Square Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Urban Theatre Company, Illinois Theatre Center, Stage Actors Ensemble, and the Chicago Theater Company, among others. His film credits include Black Butterfly, Message Received, Three Little Trees, 1-800-Rent-A-White-Folk, and Love Shorts. Lionel studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse, School of Theater in New York City. He is the Founder of Our Unseen Roots and “Our Unseen Dads” podcast on YouTube.
Willie B. Goodson (Deacon Job)
Willie B. is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where he started his acting career at the Karamu House Theater. Works include: (Congo Square) Jitney, Elmina’s Kitchen, Before it Hits Home and A Soldier’s Story. (Steppenwolf Studio) Wendell Green, The Horn and Master Harold and the Boys. (Onyx Theater) East Texas Hot Links and Sty of the Blind Pig. (Pegasus Theater) and The State of Mississippi vs Emmett Till. (Chicago Theater) Pill Hill and Little Tommy Parker’s Colored Minstrel Show. (Writer’s Theater) East Texas Hot Links. TV works include Angel Street, Early Edition, and Playboy Club. Movies include Light it Up, Barbershop, and Dark.
Chiké Johnson (Bishop Perriloux)
This accomplished actor was most recently seen on American Player’s Theatre’s stage in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and King Lear. Chiké is a company member of Remy Bumppo Theatre and has worked on many stages in Chicago and around the country. Recent Chicago credits include Toni Stone at Goodman Theatre; Northlight’s production of Birthday Candles; Remy Bumppo’s world premiere production of Galileo’s Daughter; and the world premiere of When Harry Met Rehab at the Greenhouse Theater Center. Chike’s New York credits include Ruined at Manhattan Theatre Club; Run Boy Run at New York Theatre Workshop; and New York City Center’s Encores Lost in the Stars. His Broadway credits include Time to Kill and Wit.
Luther Goins (Director)
In 1990, after working extensively in Cincinnati, Ohio as a producer, director, and acting instructor, Luther relocated to Chicago. Since then, he has worked as the Assistant to the Producer at Northlight Theatre, Resident Artistic Director at the African American-based Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, IL, and as the Managing Director of the Chicago Theatre Company, another professional African American company located on Chicago’s south side. In 2002, Luther accepted a Business Representative position with the Chicago office of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In 2016, after 14 years, Luther retired from Actors’ Equity Association. Since retirement, he has worked as Interim Managing Director and as a Management Consultant for many small, midsize and Minority Chicago theatres.
Ron Keaton (Reading Stage Directions)
Mr. Keaton has distinguished himself as a dependable, versatile performer on the stage in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. He wears many hats as an actor/playwright, director, singer, stage manager, fundraiser and arts advocate. Mr. Keaton is the founder of SoloChicago Theatre Company, which is singularly devoted to the creation and development of solo theatrical narrative. His solo play, Churchill, had a six-month run off-Broadway. He received the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2015 for outstanding solo performance. His newest piece about Benjamin Franklin, The First Embassy, is coming soon.
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Contact:
Jamie Traynor
Marketing Communications Manager, Division of Student Development
Loyola University Chicago
773-508-3890 | jtraynor@luc.edu
Chicago—Loyola University Chicago’s Division of Student Development and the Rambler Brotherhood Project will welcome Harold Ellis Clark, an award-winning, New Orleans-based playwright to Lake Shore Campus on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. in the Crown Center Auditorium.
"I'm grateful to have Mr. Clark join us on campus and share this impactful presentation with our students," shared Jim Flavin, Director of Special Projects and Initiatives. "Every one of us has a special and unique personal story to tell, and each one of us has a story that deserves dignity and respect."
During the event, Clark will share a talk on “The Power of Storytelling,” exploring lessons from his experience as an artist and how students and young adults can take ownership of their narratives to shape their respective present and future.
Following his talk, Clark will share a reading of an excerpt from his play, Fishers of Men, a drama that explores the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and justice against the backdrop of a New Orleans megachurch led by reformed convicts who seek to bring young, troubled men into the fold of their ministry. Premiered in 2012, the play won Clark the Upstage Theatre’s 4th Annual Emerging Playwrights Project in 2013, making him the first Louisiana-based writer to win the award.
The live reading will be performed by a cast of professional actors, including Ronald L. Conner, Lionel Gentle, Willie B. Goodson, Chiké Johnson, and Ron Keaton, directed by Luther Goins.
The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend.
Event Details:
- What: The Power of Storytelling with Harold Ellis Clark at Loyola University Chicago
- When: Thursday, October 23, 2025
- Where: Crown Center Auditorium, 1001-25 W. Loyola Avenue, Chicago, IL
About Harold Ellis Clark
Harold Ellis Clark, author of 13 full-length plays, was awarded the 2023 Sherri Marina Memorial Grant (New Orleans, LA) for his play, Back in the Day, for which he also was named a 2020 Trustus Playwrights’ Festival (Columbia, SC) finalist, and a 2021 American Blues Theater (Chicago, IL) Blue Ink Playwrighting Award semifinalist. The Marina Grant supported a world premiere production of the play that occurred October 12-22, 2023 in New Orleans, LA. American Blues Theater (Chicago, IL) named Harold a featured finalist for the 2018 Blue Ink Playwriting Award for his play, Run No More, and produced a staged reading of the drama. Additionally, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (Winston Salem, NC) produced a staged reading of Run No More (February 2019). An in-person staged reading of Run No More, previously scheduled for April 17, 2020 at IATI Theater (New York, NY) as part of Cimientos 2020, occurred June 14, 2020 via Zoom due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.
Harold, who began writing plays in 2011, was named one of two finalists for the Stanley Drama Award an unprecedented three times for his plays Tour Detour (2013), Uncle Bobby ’63 (2015), and Madame Thames’ Spirit Bar (2016), during award ceremonies held at The Players Club in Manhattan, NY. He also was named a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2013 (Tour Detour), 2014 (We Live Here), and 2015 (Uncle Bobby ’63), and he traveled to Durban, South Africa for the South African premiere of We Live Here (2017). Harold has won playwriting awards from Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN) for We Live Here (2013) and UpStage Theatre (Baton Rouge, LA) for Fishers of Men (2013).
About the Cast
Ronald L. Conner (Vic)
Ron is honored to be a part of this special reading of Fishers of Men by Harold Ellis Clark. He has been fortunate enough to work at some of the premier theatres across the city, including Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Congo Square Theatre (Ensemble Member), and Timeline Theatre. Regional Theatre Credits Include: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, Olney Theatre, Geva Theatre of Rochester, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and Portland Stage Company. On the screen, Ron starred as “Paul Bettis” in the 2017 independent film Chasing the Blues currently available on Peacock and Amazon Prime. On television, Conner played “Bluto”, a recurring character on HBO MAX’s Southside.
Lionel Gentle (Dabarrow)
Lionel has been a professional actor in Chicago for more than 20 years. He has worked with Eclipse Theatre Company, Congo Square Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Urban Theatre Company, Illinois Theatre Center, Stage Actors Ensemble, and the Chicago Theater Company, among others. His film credits include Black Butterfly, Message Received, Three Little Trees, 1-800-Rent-A-White-Folk, and Love Shorts. Lionel studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse, School of Theater in New York City. He is the Founder of Our Unseen Roots and “Our Unseen Dads” podcast on YouTube.
Willie B. Goodson (Deacon Job)
Willie B. is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where he started his acting career at the Karamu House Theater. Works include: (Congo Square) Jitney, Elmina’s Kitchen, Before it Hits Home and A Soldier’s Story. (Steppenwolf Studio) Wendell Green, The Horn and Master Harold and the Boys. (Onyx Theater) East Texas Hot Links and Sty of the Blind Pig. (Pegasus Theater) and The State of Mississippi vs Emmett Till. (Chicago Theater) Pill Hill and Little Tommy Parker’s Colored Minstrel Show. (Writer’s Theater) East Texas Hot Links. TV works include Angel Street, Early Edition, and Playboy Club. Movies include Light it Up, Barbershop, and Dark.
Chiké Johnson (Bishop Perriloux)
This accomplished actor was most recently seen on American Player’s Theatre’s stage in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and King Lear. Chiké is a company member of Remy Bumppo Theatre and has worked on many stages in Chicago and around the country. Recent Chicago credits include Toni Stone at Goodman Theatre; Northlight’s production of Birthday Candles; Remy Bumppo’s world premiere production of Galileo’s Daughter; and the world premiere of When Harry Met Rehab at the Greenhouse Theater Center. Chike’s New York credits include Ruined at Manhattan Theatre Club; Run Boy Run at New York Theatre Workshop; and New York City Center’s Encores Lost in the Stars. His Broadway credits include Time to Kill and Wit.
Luther Goins (Director)
In 1990, after working extensively in Cincinnati, Ohio as a producer, director, and acting instructor, Luther relocated to Chicago. Since then, he has worked as the Assistant to the Producer at Northlight Theatre, Resident Artistic Director at the African American-based Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, IL, and as the Managing Director of the Chicago Theatre Company, another professional African American company located on Chicago’s south side. In 2002, Luther accepted a Business Representative position with the Chicago office of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In 2016, after 14 years, Luther retired from Actors’ Equity Association. Since retirement, he has worked as Interim Managing Director and as a Management Consultant for many small, midsize and Minority Chicago theatres.
Ron Keaton (Reading Stage Directions)
Mr. Keaton has distinguished himself as a dependable, versatile performer on the stage in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. He wears many hats as an actor/playwright, director, singer, stage manager, fundraiser and arts advocate. Mr. Keaton is the founder of SoloChicago Theatre Company, which is singularly devoted to the creation and development of solo theatrical narrative. His solo play, Churchill, had a six-month run off-Broadway. He received the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2015 for outstanding solo performance. His newest piece about Benjamin Franklin, The First Embassy, is coming soon.
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