FACULTY AND STAFF- Bios

Theater Arts Faculty

Shirley Basfield Dunlap is Associate Professor in the Fine Arts Department and Coordinator of Theatre Arts. Ms. Dunlap is an alumna of MSU (1974) and a member of the first graduating class of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. A MFA graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Ms. Dunlap taught for eleven years at Morgan State before leaving in 1995 to teach at Iowa State University where she served as Director of the ISU World Theatre Workshop and Associate Professor. She was a Visiting Associate Professor at Towson University in the Theatre Arts Department (2002-2003). Ms. Dunlap was Assistant Professor and Director of Theatre Arts at Central State University; adjunct at the University of Cincinnati and Villa Julie College (Baltimore, MD); and lectured at varied universities. She is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC) and directs professionally throughout the country. A few of her productions include the late Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland’s From the Mississippi Delta including one with the playwright for Buffalo PBS television; August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award winning play, Fences with Roscoe Orman (Gordan of the famed “Sesame Street” as Troy) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; A Raisin in the Sun with Cheryl Lynn Bruce (of “Daughters of the Dust”); Having Our Say: The First 100 years of the Delany Sisters productions at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Buffalo Studio Arena, Dallas Theatre Center, Delaware Theatre Company and DesMoines Playhouse; and, Cookin’ at the Cookery, the story of legendary singer Alberta Hunter, in Phoenix, AZ.

The recipient of a two year Kellogg Foundation leadership grant, her leadership skills include developing and coordinating several workshops and symposia from the first African American Mimetics Conference; the first Iowa International Storytelling Conference; a Maryland Hate Crime Symposia; teaching educators throughout the country receiving their Masters in Education how to use the arts to teach their curriculum; as well as conducting a workshop on "The History of Black Musical Theatre" at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute. But even though she has directed award winner Ossie Davis and Tony Award winner Melba Moore, her favorite productions are …Stacie and Wesley Dunlap!

David D. Mitchell (Lecturer), is an actor, writer, administrator who is returning to Baltimore after having the fortunate opportunity to work with both The Actors Studio and The Neighborhood Playhouse schools of acting. He received an MFA from the Actors Studio at The New School for Social Research (New York, New York). While there he was instructed by several master teachers; Barbara Poitier, Geene Lasko, Susan Aston, Author Penn to name a few. At the Neighborhood Playhouse he played frequently with Harold G. Baldridge, Beverly Sugarman , and Lawrence Feeney. Shortly after graduation he founded a non-profit educational theater organization called Project PLAY (Put Life Ahead of You). The organization catered to underserved communities in New York. He has work with numerous Art Education organizations, and he is presently working with Young Audiences of Baltimore. Last he is the Managing Director for Run of the Mill Theater of Baltimore MD. Run of the Mill Theater is dedicated to staging new and under-produced plays.

Janice L. Short is an Instructor at Morgan State University in both the Theatre Arts and Communication Studies program. Ms. Short has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland (1991) and a Masters of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio (1995). She has directed several theatre productions and oral interpretation presentations over the course of her nine years at Morgan. Some of her directorial works include: The Medea Myth, T-Bone and Weasel, Big Momma ‘N Em, Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery, The Vagina Monologues, The Storytrain, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, “I Ain’t No Ways Tired,” “Vignettes from the African-American Male Experience,” “The Conductor’s Song,” “God’s Trombones,” and Home.

Cheryl J. Williams is the Administrative Staff Facilitator and Resident Lighting and Sound Designer for Morgan State University’s Fine Arts Department where she also teaches courses in stage management and lighting design. Ms. Williams is a member of the Actors Equity Association (AEA), and has stage managed Off-Off Broadway Playwright Festival (NY); Maryland State Arts Council Artist Showcase (Hippodrome Theatre, MD); Talking Leadership and Friendship with Lily Tomlin and Dr. Helen Caldicott (State Theatre, NJ); The Wiz (NJPAC); Blues for an Alabama Sky (NJ); The Miser and Charley’s Aunt (Olney Theatre, MD); Bus Stop(NJ); La Traviata and; I Do, I Do (Opera at the Forum, NJ)—to name a few. Internationally, Ms. Williams has been Production Stage Manager at the National Theatre of Ghana, Accra, Ghana (West Africa) and the Centre Culturel Français, in Lome, Togo (West Africa).

Ms. Williams is founder and CEO of Let There Be Light, a theatrical lighting and sound design company. She received her MFA from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School for the Arts.