Bios
Charles Dumas
Charles Dumas is a professor emeritus in the Penn State School of Theatre. Formerly, he was the director of the Acting in Media program at Temple University and associate professor in Penn State’s Department of African American Studies. He was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Dumas—a professional actor, director, and writer—is the artistic director and co-founder (1986) of The Loaves and Fish Traveling Rep Company.
He has appeared in a variety of films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance, Deep Impact, and Brawl in Cell Block 99. He has performed in numerous TV series and had recurring roles in Law and Order, 100 Centre Street, and Ed.
Dumas has directed many of August Wilson’s plays, including Fences for Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Seven Guitars for Kuntu Rep, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for Temple Theatre, and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone for the Wilson Festival.
His 9/11: A Day in the Life of a People was chosen for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and performed at the National Constitution Center. His Wolf by the Ears was chosen as one of five finalists for the best play written by an African American.
Dumas is a past recipient of a Pennsylvania Council of the Arts playwriting grant. He was chosen best lead actor by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP for his portrayal of Musa in B.C. Historia.
He was recently appointed senior professor at the University of the Free State in South Africa.
He writes a column for the Centre Daily Times titled Under the Baobab. In 2012, he was the Democratic nominee for a congressional district in central Pennsylvania.
Michael Mwenso
Michael Mwenso was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, but moved to London as a child. He spent his teen years hanging out at the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, where he was exposed to musicians such as Benny Carter, Elvin Jones, Ray Brown, and Billy Higgins.
He had already started honing his talents as a trombonist, singer, and performer, playing in jump bands, reggae and Afrobeat horn sections, and at hard-bop sessions. Mwenso’s talent as a performer caught the attention of many, which lead him to meet James Brown. The funk legend became a mentor and allotted space for him to sing and dance at his London shows.
In 2012, friend and jazz musician Wynton Marsalis brought Mwenso to New York City to serve as curator and programming associate at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he also booked nightly sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Over the next few years, Mwenso booked and performed with the likes of Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Sullivan Fortner, and Jamison Ross.
Through the performances, at Dizzy’s, Mwenso began to collaborate with a variety of Juilliard-trained musicians, a collective that soon became known as The Shakes. This unique group of global artists present music that merges entertainment and artistry with a formidable timeline of jazz and blues through African and Afro-American music. The group has toured extensively through the United States and has received high praise from the debut release Emergence.
Visit Mwenso and the Shakes to learn more.