True Colors welcomes 'bold' new artistic director

Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company is already known as one of the most successful and innovative theatre companies in the country, flourishing under the leadership of Tony Award winner Kenny Leon.  Now, Leon is stepping aside, making space for a new leader who plans to continue the company’s track record of artistic and critical success.

Jamil Jude is the new artistic director at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company, and is kicking off his tenure as director of Skeleton Crew, which opens in previews on February 12th and runs through March 10th.  The play, written by Dominique Morisseau, takes place at a Detroit auto plant in danger of going under, and focuses on the workers who must plan out an uncertain future. 

Jude was hand-picked as the company’s new artistic director by Leon, who will now serve as Artistic Director Emeritus and continue his work in theatre on Broadway and across the country.  Speaking about his plans for the company, Jude told Good Day Atlanta’s Paul Milliken, “I think what we have an opportunity to do is really re-balance the scales in American theatre, as we look at on it…We don't often see women, especially women of color, as the most-produced playwright in the country.  We are still grossly misrepresented as far as women, especially women of color, as directors.  What I'm really excited about as Artistic Director of True Colors is that I get an opportunity to push those voices forward, and in the next couple of seasons you'll really start to see how we want to offer out to the American Theatre: ‘It's possible.’  And there's a community that's hungry for it."

Paul sat down with Jamil Jude as rehearsals began for Skeleton Crew, and learned more about the production and Jude’s plans for the future of Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company.