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WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL

Gun & Powder

Jan 28 - Feb 23, 2020

Inspired by a true story, make way for the sisters Clarke in a dynamic, moving and inspiring world premiere musical of notorious outlaws who ruled the Wild West.

To help their mother settle a sharecropper debt, Mary and Martha Clarke—African American twins—pass themselves as White to seize the funds by any means necessary. However, their bond of sisterhood is tested when they fall in love with two very different men, one Black, the other White.

Award-winning director Robert O’Hara (Broadway’s Slave Play) makes his Signature debut in this soaring musical that examines race, family and identity with two electrifying women who went from farm girls to legends with gun and powder.

Book & Lyrics by Angelica Chéri
Music by Ross Baum
Directed by Robert O'Hara

Performance Information

  • Run Time

    Running time approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

  • Content Warnings

    Contains theatrical haze, one gunshot and two instances of guns pointed at audience (but not shot).

  • Specialty Nights

    Discussion Nights February 18 & 19, 2020
    Pride Night February 7, 2020

  • GalaPro

    Closed Captioning available at every performance of our mainstage shows via the free GalaPro App

Cast Members

Montel Butler

Swing

Yvette Monique Clark

Sissy/Ensemble

OFF-BROADWAY: PlayOn Shakespeare Festival (Various Characters), Girls Night: The Musical (Liza), NATIONAL TOURS: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (BJ), Hairspray (Motormouth Maybelle), INTERNATIONAL TOUR: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Nell), When A Man Loves A Woman (Theresa Morris), REGIONAL: Theatre Under the Stars; Oregon Shakespeare Festival: The Wiz (Aunt Em, Evillene and Glinda), UniSon (Mama and Terror #6), MacHaydn Theatre: Chicago (Mama Morton), Show Boat (Queenie), Hairspray (Motormouth Maybelle), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Muzzy Van Hossmere); Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre: To Kill A Mockingbird (Calpurnia), The Buddy Holly Story (Apollo Singer); New Harmony Theatre: The Full Monty (Joanie Lish), Capitol Rep Theatre: Crowns (Mother Shaw); Depot Theatre: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Nell); Gateway Playbouse: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (BJ); Arts Center of Coastal Carolina: Hello, Dolly! (Ernestina Money, u/s Dolly).

Alex De Bard

Alex De Bard

Swing

she/her SIGNATURE: Private Jones, Passing Strange, Into the Woods, RENT, Gun & Powder. DC AREA: Monumental Theatre Company: tick, tick…BOOM! (Helen Hayes Nominated- Outstanding Supporting Performer), 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche; Olney Theatre Center: Kinky Boots, A.D. 16; NextStop Theatre: Little Women, First Date; Bay Star Theatricals: The Condition of Ellen Mitchell; Museum of the Bible: Amazing Grace; Adventure Theatre: The Velveteen Rabbit, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas, Blueberries for Sal. REGIONAL: Goodspeed: Private Jones (workshop). EDUCATION: The Catholic University of America, BM. IG: @alexdebardmusic

Wyn Delano

Ensemble

NATIONAL TOUR: Amazing Grace. DC AREA: Arena Stage: Newsies; Ford’s Theatre: Into the Woods, Creative Cauldron: Beauty and The Beast; 1st Stage: A Civil War Christmas; Keegan: Parade. REGIONAL: Bass Hall: A Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch; Riverside Center: Beauty and The Beast, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Oklahoma!, The Buddy Holly Story; Trinity Shakespeare Festival (TX): Julius Caesar, The Tempest, The Taming of The Shrew, Love’s Labour’s Lost; Contemporary Theatre of Dallas: As We Lie Still; Firehouse Theatre: The Fantasticks. VOICEOVER: Funimation, GraphicAudio. EDUCATION: Texas Christian University, BFA.

Christian Douglas

Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Signature Vinyl, Gun & Powder (Ensemble, Jesse u/s) Devotion (SigYale Workshop), Two’s Company Summer Cabaret. DC AREA: Arena Stage: Newsies (Seitz, Jack Kelly u/s); Kennedy Center: Chasing the Wind (Nijah); Red Branch Theater Company: Dogfight (Eddie Birdlace). OTHER: The U.S. Army Chorus (enlisted tenor vocalist).  Strathmore Artist in Residence 2019-2020 (singer/songwriter). AWARDS: Lotte Lenya Competition ($10,000 prize winner); American Traditions Vocal Competition (4th place finalist). EDUCATION: University of Maryland, BM in Vocal Performance. Instagram: @christiandouglasmusic christiandouglasmusic.com

Marva Hicks headshot

Marva Hicks

Tallulah

BROADWAY: Motown The Musical; Caroline, Or Change; The Lion King; Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. OFF-BROADWAY: City Center Encores!: Cabin In The Sky, Little Shop Of Horrors; Signature Theatre: The First Breeze Of Summer. REGIONAL: Two River Theatre: Oo-Bla-Dee; Alliance Theatre: Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous; The Women of Brewster Place (Suzi Award); Theatre Under the Stars: The Wiz; Crossroads Theatre: Sarah Sings a Love Story; Zach Scott Theatre: Porgy and Bess (B. Ida Payne Award). DC AREA: Arena Stage: Thunder Knocking on The Door (Helen Hayes Award), Crowns, The Women Of Brewster Place, Sophisticated Ladies. TV: House of Cards, Black List, Search Party, Madam Secretary, Star Trek: Voyager. FILM: Virtuosity, Asunder.

Amber Jones headshot

Amber Lenell Jones

Ensemble

DC AREA: Constellation Theatre Company: AIDA;  Keegan Theatre: Chicago; Legally Blonde. REGIONAL: The Pittsburgh Rep: Wig Out. EDUCATIONAL: Point Park Theatre Company: Big Love, The Bluest Eye, Jungle Book, A Raisin in the Sun, For Colored Girls; Duke Ellington: Dreamgirls. EDUCATION: Point Park University, BFA. @amberlenelljones www.amberlenelljones.com

Rayshun LaMarr

Rayshun LaMarr

Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Gun & Powder. DC AREA: Live Garra Theatre: Fool in Love-The Frankie Lymon Story (Frankie Lymon); American Pops Orchestra: Mary Martin and Ethel Merman tribute, You’ve Got a Friend, Lincoln Center Fall Gala, A tribute to Aretha Franklin; Ford’s Theatre: Ford’s Annual Gala (Guest Artist), Ragtime, Freedom’s Song; MetroStage: Shake Loose, Blackberry Daze; Kennedy Center: 24th Annual ADL in Concert Against Hate. TV: NBC: The Voice (Season 14 Semi Finalist); WBAL-TV: Season to Celebrate (Guest Artist); NBC4 Washington: FBCG Holiday Special. OTHER: SoundConnection Band (Lead Vocalist); Stephanie Mills (Background Vocalist); Annual Cherry Blossom Parade (Featured Performer); Wizards Season Opener (National Anthem); 49ers Crucial Catch Game (National Anthem and Halftime Show); NC Panthers Game (Halftime Show). 

Calvin Malone

Swing

SIGNATURE: Billy Elliot. DC AREA: Olney: Matilda, South Pacific; ATMTC: Big River; Constellation: The Wild Party (2018 Helen Hayes nomination for Best Musical, Best Ensemble); Toby’s: Newsies, Mamma Mia!; Riverside: Oklahoma!, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, My Fair Lady, Mame, 9 to 5, The Wedding Singer, Spamalot; World Stage Theater: Amazing Grace. REGIONAL: Allenberry: The Andrews Brothers, Happy Days, The Full Monty, Annie, Hairspray; Kentucky Repertory: Little Women; Studio Tenn: Cinderella; Bigfork: Damn Yankees!, The Music Man, High School Musical; EDUCATION: Belmont University, BFA Musical Theatre Performance, Dean’s Voice Scholar. @calvinsings

Adelina Mitchell

Adelina Mitchell

Swing

she/her SIGNATURE: Into the Woods, Rent, Gun & Powder (World Premiere). DC AREA: Olney Theatre Center: The Music Man (Marian, Bilingual ASL production), A.D. 16 (Ruth, World Premiere); Round House Theatre: Quixote Nuevo; Constellation Theatre Company: The Last Five Years, Little Shop of Horrors; Monumental Theatre Company: Head Over Heels. REGIONAL: The Muny: Legally Blonde! www.adelinamitchell.com @adelinamitchell

Da'Von T. Moody

Da'Von T. Moody

Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Gun & Powder, Grand Hotel, Ain’t Misbehavin’. NATIONAL TOUR: Amazing Grace (Mr. Tyler). DC AREA: Constellation Theatre: Aida! (Mereb); Ford’s Theatre: The Wiz (Ensemble); ArtsCentric: Hair (Berger); Toby’s Dinner Theatre: Dreamgirls (C.C. White).

Crystal Mosser

Crystal Mosser

Fannie/Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Signature Vinyl, Gun and Powder, Grand Hotel, Billy Elliot. DC AREA: Shakespeare Theatre: Candide, Boys From Syracuse; Woolly Mammoth/Fringe: F#@king Up Everything. NYC: Playwrights Horizons: Atlantis; New York City Opera: Car Crash Opera; Skirball Center: King David Revival, Leonard Bernstein Tribute, “Glitter and Be Gay” Soloist; McGinn/Cazale Theater: Paint Your Wagon. REGIONAL: Coastal Carolina Center of the Arts/Beef and Boards/Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center: 9 to 5; Mason Street Warehouse: Xanadu; Seven Angels Theatre: Marvelous Wonderettes; Hanesbrand Theatre: Stephen Schwartz Project; Penobscot Theatre: Great American Trailer Park; Mac-Haydn Theatre: Phantom. EDUCATION: New York University, B.M. & M.M. @CrystalMosser

Solea Pfeiffer

Solea Pfeiffer

Mary Clarke

SIGNATURE: Gun & Powder. NEW YORK: New York City Center: Evita, Songs for a New World. REGIONAL: West Coast Premiere: Hamilton; Lyric Opera of Chicago: The Light in the Piazza; The Old Globe: Almost Famous; Hollywood Bowl: West Side Story. DC AREA: The Kennedy Center: West Side Story. TV: The Good Fight, Scandal. EDUCATION: BFA Musical Theatre, University of Michigan. UPCOMING: Broadway: Almost Famous

Emmy Raver-Lampman headshot

Emmy Raver-Lampman

Martha Clarke

BROADWAY: Hamilton (Original Broadway cast), A Night with Janis Joplin, Jekyll & Hyde, Hair. NATIONAL TOUR: Hamilton, Wicked, Jekyll & Hyde, Hair. TV: Netflix Original Series: The Umbrella Academy (Allison Hargreeves), Jane the Virgin, A Million Little Things. FILM: Wednesdays. EDUCATION: GSA, Marymount Manhattan College. @emmyraver

Awa Sal Secka

Awa Sal Secka

Flo

SIGNATURE: Ragtime (Sarah), Gun and Powder (Flo), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon), Broadway in the Park, Signature Vinyl. NY: GODDESS 2021/2023 Workshop (Zawadi), GRACE Workshop (Jackie). Regional: PAPER MILL: AFTER MIDNIGHT (Sassy). BERKELEY REP: GODDESS (Zawadi). DC: KENNEDY CENTER: RENT (Joanne), Me…Jane (Maisie), Chasing the Wind (Abby). FORD’S: Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), The Wiz (Glinda/Dorothy u/s. THEATRE J: Intimate Apparel (Mayme). ROUND HOUSE: School Girls (Ama), Caroline, or Change (Dottie). IMAGINATION: Cinderella (Cinderella), Charlie Brown (Lucy). ARTSCENTRIC: L5Y (Cathy), AIDA (Aida), MEMPHIS (Felicia). STUDIO: SILENCE! (Ardelia). OTC: Co-Writer of The Joy That Carries You (Winner of the 2023 Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play), Children of Eden Concert (Eve), Avenue Q. EDUCATION: Montgomery College. INSTA: @_kujichagulia_ REP: Nicolosi & Co.

Kylie Clare Smith

Swing

SIGNATURE: Assassins (u/s). DC AREA: Adventure Theatre: Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas; ArtsCentric (Company Member): Memphis, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Passion of Whitney Houston; Free Range Humans: Murder Ballad, Jekyll & Hyde. REGIONAL: Roanoke Children’s Theatre: Matilda,  Seussical the Musical, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown; Alluvion Stage Company: Sister Act, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast. @kyeclare

Eleanor Todd

Eleanor Todd

Ensemble

 SIGNATURE: Passion; Devotion (workshop). NATIONAL TOUR: Amazing Grace (Director Gabriel Barre). NYC: War Paint (workshop, Director Michael Greif), New York Musical Festival: Beyond Words, Niagara (workshop, Director. Lauren Widner). DC AREA: Shakespeare Theatre Co: Camelot; Keegan Theatre: Parade (Helen Hayes nomination: Outstanding Lead Actress), Big Fish; The Kennedy Center: How Can I Say This So You Will Stay? (Director Susan Einhorn); Olney Theatre: Children of Eden in Concert. REGIONAL: Actors Guild of Lexington: SubUrbia; Kentucky Conservatory Theatre: Legally Blonde (Elle Woods). FILM/TV: Amazon Prime: Liberty’s Secret; multiple commercials, motion capture work (video games). VOICEOVER: Graphic Audio: multiple projects, Guardians of the Galaxy II. EDUCATION: University of Michigan, BFA Musical Theatre. Rep: Capital Talent Agency. Instagram: @eleanorjtodd 

Dan Tracy

Jesse

BROADWAY: Waitress. NATIONAL TOUR: American Idiot, Sound of Music, Kinky Boots. NYC: October Sky, The Bad Years. REGIONAL: John B. Engeman Theatre: Newsies, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre: Les Misérables, South Pacific; Mason Street Warehouse: Xanadu. FILM: The Seagull, Broadcasting Christmas. TV: One Bad Choice, Eye Candy. PODCAST: Guys Who Like Musicals. EDUCATION: Univ. of Michigan, BFA Musical Theater. UPCOMING: TV: Mrs. America. @dan_tracy

Donald Webber, Jr.

Elijah

BROADWAY: Hamilton, Motown: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast), Holler If Ya Hear Me (Original Broadway Cast). NATIONAL TOUR: Puerto Rico: Hamilton (Aaron Burr); San Francisco: Hamilton (Aaron Burr; Broadway World Regional Award nomination Best Leading Actor), Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical. OFF-BROADWAY: Second Stage: Whorl Inside A Loop; Transport Theatre Group: Renascence. REGIONAL: Boston: Born for This (Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award Outstanding Lead Actor nomination); Dallas Theatre Center: Bella: An American Tall Tale; Center Theatre Group: Venice. FILM: HBO: The Bronx, USA., Buckeye. TV/WEB: Netflix: The Punisher; The Wiz Live!; American Idol. EDUCATION: University of Southern California BFA Acting. @donaldwebber

Kanysha Williams

Kanysha Williams

Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Ain't Misbehavin', Soul Divas, Gun and Powder. DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors; Arena Stage: The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence (National Tour), American Prophet, Drumfolk (National Tour); Shakespeare Theatre Company: Macbeth In Stride; Olney Theatre Center: FELA!, AD16; Round House Theatre: The Tempest; The Kennedy Center: Acoustic Rooster (National Tour). REGIONAL: Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre: Sister Act; Riverside Center for the Performing Arts: The Color Purple. EDUCATION: The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music; George Mason University, B.M. Music, 2014. MUSIC: Original music available for streaming on all platforms. PODCAST: Downstage Center Podcast (Host). SOCIAL MEDIA: @StrawberrySings - IG; @StrawberrySingsMusic - TikTok; @StrawberrySingsMusic - YouTube

Christopher Michael Richardson

Christopher Michael Richardson

Ensemble

SIGNATURE: Gun & Powder, Assassins. DC AREA: Woolly Mammoth: A Strange Loop; Kennedy Center TYA: The Mortification of Fovea Munson, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! The Musical!;Arena Stage: American Prophet; Shakespeare Theatre Company: Our Town, Macbeth; Olney Theatre Center: Matilda; Ford’s Theatre: The Wiz, Into the Woods; Round House Theatre: The Book of Will; Imagination Stage: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (2019 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding TYA); REGIONAL: Know Theatre of Cincinnati: Andy’s House of [blank]; EDUCATION: The College of William & Mary, 2013, English and Theatre.

Creative Team

Sponsors

From Farm Girls to Outlaws to Legends

Explore our newest articles about the themes and history of Gun & Powder! Read a Q&A with creators Angelica Chéri and Ross Baum, learn about real African American women of the Wild West, and more.

Press Reviews

Literally a perfect theatrical experience

BroadwayWorld

A marvelously sung world premiere.. Fresh and exciting

The Washington Post

Hands down one of the best musicals I’ve seen in the past decade

DCTheatreScene

Signature Theatre

4200 Campbell Ave Arlington, Virginia