Black Nativity Production Team

ROBERT JOHN CONNOR (Director/Executive Producer) producer, actor, singer and award-winning director, Robert has worked in arts and entertainment for over 30 years. A graduate of Morehouse College, Robert studied music, radio, film and television. He has appeared in a variety of stage productions including: 110 in the Shade (Theatrical Outfit) Once on This Island (Georgia Ensemble Theatre); Camelot (Aurora Theatre); Crowns (P-G Entertainment); The Club (Ethel Woolson Lab/Alliance); Urinetown (Fabrifaction); Queen of the Blues, Higher Ground (Jomandi Productions).   Some of his film and television credits include: “Greenleaf”; “A Different World”; “The Cosby Show”; “Glory”; and “Showtime at the Apollo”. As a musician Robert has recorded and arranged vocals for a variety of artists, jingles for national and international products and has sung with a variety of artists including: Michael Buble, Gladys Knight, Barry Manilow, Byron Cage and Cassi Davis. Robert holds a MFA in Performance and Dramatic Media from the University of Georgia. He is the proud father of a beautiful daughter, Ryan.

JOSEPH FUTRAL (Production Manager) has served as production manager for many theatre and dance companies and artists over the last 30 years. In addition to the Vail Dance Festival production manager credits include Janet Langhart’s Anne and Emmett, Kinetic Light, Gallim Dance, Core Dance, The Joyce Unleashed program, Theatrical Outfit, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, American Dance Festival, Pilobolus, Fred Garbo’s Inflatable Theatre Company, and Ohio Ballet; lighting supervisor for Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jose Limon Dance, and master electrician for Spoleto Festival, USA. His other life has been as lighting designer for The Alliance Theater, Theatrical Outfit, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre, Room to Move, Moving in the Spirit, Saiah International, Horizon Theatre, Blake Beckham and Lucky Penny, Ballethnic Dance, Lee Harper, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Jomandi Theatre, Charleston Ballet, Mad Horse Theatre Company, University of Southern Maine, Martha Clarke, and events for Amherst College, Yale University, Saab, and Buick. He serves on the board of directors for Full Radius Dance in Atlanta.

lark hackshaw (Stage Manager/Associate Producer) returns to Black Nativity having recently returned from the Tony Award winning Dallas Theater Center where she Stage Managed a 90 minute musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” with a cast of 200. In addition to celebrating her 28th year of Stage Management at Atlanta’s Tony Award winning Alliance Theatre, she has worked for many regional theatres both here (Indiana Repertory, MetroStage, Cleveland Playhouse, San Jose Rep, Arizona Theatre Co., Maltz Jupiter, Trinity Repertory, Arena Stage, MUNY, North Carolina Black Rep) and abroad (The De LaMar in Amsterdam) . lark has taken out several major tours. Her favorite show was Broadway’s “Stick Fly”. Some other favorites include: “Anne & Emmett”, “Holler If Ya Hear Me”, “King Hedley II”, “Black Nativity” (2014 – present), Kandi Burruss’ “A Mother’s Love”, “Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Through Life”, “Bring It On: The Musical”, “Zorro: The Musical” , “The Nacirema Society”, “Sheddin’”, “Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies”, “Good People” and “Wit”. lark is a long time Line Producer/Executive Assistant for Winston-Salem’s National Black Theatre Festival.

John Scott Ross (Technical Director) hails from Springfield Ohio and has been steadily employed in the entertainment industry since 1975. Educated at The Ohio State University, Scott was the Technical Director for the original Off Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Orpheum Theater. The Production Manager for Stage Right Entertainment, Inc. for 10 years, John was at the helm for The Arts Festival of Atlanta, First Night Atlanta, Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s and a six year stint at The Center for Puppetry Arts. Scott toured internationally with Jon Ludwig’s collaboration with Ping Chong, Kwaidan and has Stage Managed locally at Actor’s Express, Alliance Theater, ART Station, Fox Theater, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, Horizon Theater, Lyric Theater, Theatrical Outfit (back in the day on 10th and Peachtree), Theater Emory and Menopause the Musical. He is often a working Stagehand at The Fox, Alliance, Cobb Energy Center and other area venues. Mr. Ross has worked on over 1000 productions spanning the last 40 plus years. Scotty enjoys woodworking, and collecting wind-up toys and Pez dispensers and lives in Decatur with his lovely wife, Barbara and her Dog, Honey. Peace.

Calvin Johnson (Lighting Design) Calvin G. Johnson (also known as Light Guy Calvin) is an accomplished lighting and production designer specializing in integrating lighting and video into one cohesive design. Concerts and special events that include music are his specialty. Since it is becoming increasingly more common these days for video and lighting elements to be combined into a singular design aesthetic, he has expanded his focus to include both principles of design when conceptualizing a show. Calvin is not only a highly sought out designer, but also a well-versed programmer on some of the most state of the art lighting consoles in the industry such as the GrandMA 2. With the aid of various media servers such as PRG’s MBox and Resolume’s Arena 6, Calvin can play back both video and lighting elements to create spectacular shows. Having access to someone with such an expansive set of skills offers an abundance of creative opportunity when designing a production. Overall, his underlying philosophy is to create a visual statement that supports the vision of his clients.

Kat Conley (Scenic Design)  is an associate artist with both Georgia Shakespeare and Actor’s Express and the charge scenic artist for the Alliance Theatre. Previous shows for the Alliance include Charlotte’s Web, Holidays with the Chalks, The Wizard of Oz; Honk!; Disney’s Mulan; 26 Miles; Class of 3000 LIVE; Goodnight Moon; Eurydice; Seussical the Musical; Degas’ Little Dancer; Disney’s Aladdin; Go Dog Go!; The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales; Shear Madness; The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer; Ferdinand the Bull; and Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Based in Atlanta since 2000, Kat has designed scenery for Arena Stage, Orlando Shakespeare, Kennedy Center, Georgia Shakespeare, Marin Theatre Company, Atlanta Ballet, Center for Puppetry Arts, 7 Stages, Theatrical Outfit, Theater in the Square, Springer Opera House, and Aurora Theatre.

Jarrod Barnes (Costume Design)  is an Atlanta fashion designer, tailor, stylist and costume designer is a native of Thomasville, NC. He studied Fashion Design at Bauder College of Atlanta and completed the undergraduate part of his studies in Fashion Design in 2010 at American Intercontinental University. He has released several collections with his label, Jarrod’s, Est. 1977 and has also gained numerous theatrical credits through his work with Rob Jackson Presents, Juel Lane, Dominion Entertainment and his service over the past 2 years and 3 seasons of Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre as costume designer and wardrobe master. His Costume Designer work for this year includes New Manchester High School’s production of “The Wiz”, directed by Robert Connor and The Weber School’s production of “Artfully Yours”, directed by Hilda Willis.

Geno Hocker (Sound Design)

Astral Hackshaw (Wardrobe Manager)

Dristian Bailey (Assistant Technical Director)