Schele Williams is a director committed to cultivating new musicals and devised work with authentic representation. She is currently directing the upcoming Broadway revivals of
Aida (Disney Theatrical Group) and
The Wiz, as well as the premieres of
Mandela the Musical and
Indigo. She will be helming
Hidden Figures, currently in development (Disney Theatrical Group). Schele has directed at regional theaters and festivals across the country and has a long history of work on Broadway in
Rent,
Aida, and
Motown: The Musical. Passionate about pairing social justice with the arts, Schele is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism on our streets and stages. She has been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for over two decades and serves as chairperson of the board. She is also on the board of trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Tonya Engel is a self-taught artist living in Houston, Texas. Folk artists of the deep South have influenced her work, as well as contemporary masters such as Marc Chagall, Frida Kahlo, Romare Bearden, and Gustav Klimt. Her bold style is figurative, textured, colorful, and ripe with symbolism. Engel made a spectacular debut in children's publishing with her illustrations in
Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou, written by Bethany Hegedus and published by Lee & Low Books in 2019, and
My Hair is Magic! by M.L. Marroquin.
