In the Valley of Coming Forth

A play by Dr. Herukhuti

November 24 - 25, 2023
Weeksville Heritage Center 

Thank you to all who joined us in November 2023 for this alternative Thanksgiving event at Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, the site of the largest free-Black community in the pre-Civil War age, as we considered what it means to be free and the costs associated with our freedom dreams when we pursue them.

We encourage you to support the work of CCCADI in using arts and culture to advance the racial and social justice of African descendant communities globally. Make a financial investment in AfroFutures today.

On Friday, November 24, 2023 Attendees Experienced the Play Performance + Live Production House Band:

Folachade Abiala (Hand Drums), Brother Wyatt (Kit Drum), Josh Boucicaut (Sax), Carlisio Keys (Keyboard), Dead Wildin (Guitar), VFerg (Bass), and DJ Sabine Blaizin (1s and 2s)

On Saturday, November 25, 2023 Attendees Experienced an Artist Talkback + Live DJ Set by Brandon D'Lux:

After experiencing "In the Valley of Coming Forth," a panel discussion explored the themes of the play, the impact of European settler-colonialism and imperialism on people of African descent, and our relationship to land and heritage with a panel of cultural workers, community organizers, and artists.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the following contributors without whom this presentation of In the Valley of Coming Forth would not be possible:

Sponsors:

New York State Council on the Arts, The Theater Offensive, Double Edge Theatre, and Applied Theatre Racial Justice Conference at CUNY SPS MA in Applied Theatre Program, Goddard College Faculty Development Fund, Pratt Institute Department of Fine Arts Internship Program

Creative Team:

Direction by Dr. Herukhuti

Creative Direction by Odu Adamu

Production Stage Management by Grace Ancrum

Choreography and Intimacy Direction by Renee Redding-Jones

Musical Direction by Vincent "VFerg" Ferguson

Costume Design by Ty Brooks

Property Supervision and Production Assistance by Rasheeda Johnson

Technical Direction by Carlos Johns-Davila

Lighting Design by Bev Fremin

Fight Choreography by Courtney Bryan Devon

Production Assistance by Malik Smith

House Band: Folachade Abiala (Djembe), Brother Wyatt (Drums), Josh Boucicaut (Saxophone), Carlisio Keys (Keyboard), Dead Wildin (Guitar), and VFerg (Bass Guitar)

Set in the year 2169 after a global apocalypse caused by the impact of settler-colonialism, imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism, and cis-heteropatriarchy on the environment and climate, “In the Valley of Coming Forth” is an Afrofuturist, funk, ritual performance about a Black woman’s struggle to rescue her kidnapped non-binary child and destroy the system that has torn them apart.

Presenting the premier of this play, which deals with the tradition of marronage and freedom in the face of European settler-colonialism, imperialism, and white supremacy initiated by the Pilgrims—whose actions are celebrated on Thanksgiving weekend— at the site of one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America, is critically important to both CCCADI and Dr. Herukhuti.

CCCADI’s support of Dr. Herukhuti’s decolonial work has included an individual artist grant, marketing, and other production support, through which the institution seeks to model a new paradigm for cultural organizations. One that cultivates an environment for re-indigenizing and decolonizing relationships between artists/cultural workers and art and culture institutions. In this way, together, we can further advance racial and social justice for African descendants everywhere through arts and culture.

The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) is proud to highlight this historic new initiative, a multi-year relationship with decolonial theatre artist, H. “Herukhuti” Sharif Williams, Ph.D., through its co-production of “In the Valley of Coming Forth”.

Meet the Cast


  • Shaquila “Qualah'' Gooden is a Trinidadian-American Actress, Comedian, Author and Producer. In 2022, she starred in the Off-Broadway play “Lambs to Slaughter'' at Cherry Lane Theater. She has worked on numerous independent projects, notably for Jussie Smollett’s directorial debut BET+ feature film “B-Boy Blues” (which won Fan Favorite at ABFF), “A for Alpha” (which was an official selection at Diversity in Cannes), and “Black Round Table'' (for which she won Best Supporting Actor). She plays a supporting role in the upcoming feature film “Camp Joy '' which will be premiering on Paramount plus. She is working hard to build a platform for actors of color in the industry, launching the creative agency ACTORvated to support them on their journey from aspiring to working


  • Hailing from Brooklyn NY, Sakinah Iman is a Caribbean-American 23x International Award Winning-Filmmaker, Multi Award-Winning Actress and Certified Health Educator of Jamaican and Garifuna descent. For over 15 years, using theatre arts such as spoken word, comedy, drama, and music, Sakinah has performed on stages across the globe, devoting her artistic abilities to creating art that engages audiences in sociopolitical change. Sakinah has written, produced, directed, and starred in multiple short films, of which, won 23 Best Short Film Awards, selected and placed in a total of 55 film festivals worldwide. Sakinah currently has one of her films, “He Wants To Know My Number,” licensed by the major television network, Showtime-ViacomCBS.

  • Victorious is excited to be delving back into the character of Mr. Mai Negro. He previously performed in this role during a summer excerpt. Victorious splits his time working as an actor on the stage and a pubic librarian. Some of Victorious’ credits include Benny in Rent (Little Radical Entertainment), Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone (Seton Hill University) and being a featured soloist of Greensburg Civic Theater’s production of “Songs for a New World’. He hopes you enjoy the show and thanks you for coming!

  • Courtney Bryan Devon (they/them) is a Black Queer Theatremaker, Somatic Practitioner, and Arts Educator. Through their work, Courtney creates revealing, reviving and revolutionary experiences rooted in Fable, Fellowship, and Freedom. With core curiosities that lie at the meeting place of poetic creativity, physical expression, and cultural curation, Courtney is passionate in analyzing, alchemizing, and materializing through movement and dramaturgical discovery.

    Courtney’s work has transported them from Brooklyn streets, to Berkshire mountains, to Bahamian beaches and Beyond. Through-lines in Courtney’s work can be traced to the anthropology and authorship of Zora Neale Hurston, the poetry of Maya Angelou, and the might of Muhammad Ali. For nearly a decade, Courtney has proudly served over a dozen New York City schools and organizations as a multimodal teaching artist working with hundreds of students on Social + Emotional learning through the Performing Arts.

    Courtney is most enlivened in enriching and connecting communities through creativity, believing in the universal power of the arts and storytelling to facilitate environments of learning, healing, transformative justice, and radical joy.

    (@coourtinator)

  • JNK Enzo (they/ze) is a non-binary, queer, trans-anti-disciplinary artist that works in the mediums of performance, film/video, painting, photography, digital technologies, and new media arts. Enzo has been seen as Nina in SUNSET BABY, Henrietta Iscariot in THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, and Glinda in THE WIZ; recently directing, choreographing, and dancing in the choreopoem WORDS OF THE PROPHETS at The Cell Theater. Enzo's international works are on flesh-for-capital, sustainability, and disability in "PH-@-L3$H" (flesh), shown at Artes Mota Galiza, & Galleria Geraldes da Silva in Porto, Portugal, Sept.2022; & "what t**y won’t do is…aka mygreenhome" which was shown at Art Bazaar at Pragovka Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic, July 2022. This work is through sustainability and accessibility, combating poverty, famine, and climate change in the Czech Republic, building a solar powered hydroponic garden. Enzo holds an MFA in Performance and Interactive Media Arts, BA in Theater and BA in Film Production from Brooklyn College. IG: @og.enzo / jnkenzo.com

  • Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, H. “Herukhuti” Sharif Williams, PhD is a cultural worker committed to making revolution irresistible through theatre/performance art, filmmaking, poetics, and cultural criticism. The producer-playwright-director has presented work in and around NYC including the New York International Fringe Theatre Festival, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance Blaktinx Festival and Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute Afribembé Festival. She is a core faculty member at Goddard College, adjunct associate professor of applied theatre research at City University of New York School of Professional Studies, and visiting adjunct professor in the department of fine arts at Pratt Institute.

Guest DJs

  • DJ Sabine Blaizin's work focuses on the exposure and pleasures of African diasporic music. Brooklyn Mecca, Cumbancha, and Oyasound are a few of her creative projects. Dj Sabine spins Global Soul: House, Afrotech, Afrobeat, Haitian Roots and other diasporic tunes. As an artivist, Sabine continuously gives back and serves her African diasporic community. In this capacity, she is the Director of Programs at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute and volunteers as the NY Deputy Ambassador for Haiti's She Builds Initiative. Sabine ultimately seeks to create new scholarship through the African and Haitian diasporic lens of music, culture and spirituality.


  • DJ/Music Producer Brandon D'Lux knows how to create a vibe. Whether at an intimate bar or a festival of hundreds, his ability to seamlessly weave genres together is what keeps his audiences on their toes. D'Lux has composed music for a number of short films, web series, and independent recording artists. In 2022 he scored the feature film Nana's Boys, directed by long-time collaborator Ashton Pina. Additionally, Brandon has several published releases of his own which are currently available to stream and download on all major digital marketplaces.