Yalla Bitch
Directors Note
"I felt it, I knew I was the Yalla Bitch", you are the Yalla Bitch, we all are the Yalla Bitch.
I love this piece. I fell in love with it when I first read it back in 2022. At the time, I was brand new at Ujima and working on learning the history of this one-of-a-kind group of artists. This piece, my personal favorite of what we consider "The Ujima Canon of Plays" was written by our late founder, Lorna C Hill. It is a memoir of her early life. In this new version, we've added songs written by her child, now our artistic director, Curtis Lovell. The last time the show was performed was in 2000, the same year I was born and it feels, in many ways, like a piece of this story was made just for me.
Colorism is prejudice or discrimination, especially within a racial or ethnic group, favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.
What comes from being "favored"? What does that mean for how we (myself, Lorna, other light skinned people) move through our world? What does it say about our ability to share in community with other people of color? How does it affect our self image? In what ways does being "yalla" lead to us being over-simplified, sexualized, or left out of certain conversations? Yalla Bitch seeks to ask those questions.
This show was published in 1984. Lorna was 33. And although the term Bitch has become extremely commonplace in recent decades, my elders often remind me that this has not always been the case. There's a punch the word packs for those who knew that time that a person like me may not relate to. Bitch is, ultimately, a slur meant to demean women. The term seeks to reduce women to the same thing as a dog you own for breeding. To own it here is bold, and while common now, at the time, ground breaking.
I'm so looking forward to a new audience being exposed to this desperately important show. In the absence of the giant who founded the only company who has ever produced it, the person who wrote it, and the only person who has ever starred in it, it would be very easy to pronounce the show dead, leave it in the big cabinet of plays inside Ujima's offices, never to see the light again. BUT THAT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY! The play is too good, too necessary. Every light-skinned girl, black girl, girl of any race, and person in this world needs to see this show. It's too funny and sad and full of heart and life. It deserves admiration, critique, and all the things that every genius work of theater gets to have. It's Lorna's play, but I am certain there will be a moment in it when each person who sees it says "Wow, I've felt exactly like that" because we are all the Yalla Bitch.
Artistic Director’s Note
Ending this season with “Yalla Bitch” is incredibly meaningful to me, both personally and artistically. This play was written by my mother, and bringing her work to the stage is a way of honoring her voice, her courage, and the stories she believed needed to be told. Her writing has always carried honesty, strength, and heart, and sharing that with audiences at the close of this season feels especially powerful.
“Yalla Bitch” challenges us to feel uncomfortable truths while still finding moments of humor, connection, and love. Ending our season with this work is not only a celebration of theater, but also a tribute to legacy, storytelling, and the lasting impact of my mother’s art.
This bold and provocative play, staged in the heart of summer, is a fierce exploration of power, agency, and the voices of Black women. Yalla Bitch serves as both an artistic triumph and a tribute to Hill’s indelible impact on the theatre world and beyond. In an exciting development, Ujima will be touring this production—an important milestone, as it marks the first time in many years that the company has taken a show on the road.
This tour reaffirms Ujima’s commitment to sharing impactful stories with a wider audience and strengthening our reach beyond Buffalo. This special run of Yalla Bitch will be performed in gardens across the Buffalo Area.
Summer Tour
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June
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July
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Summer Tour ✳︎ June ✳︎ July ✳︎
Cast
Arianna Morris
(She/Her)Better known by peers as Ari, is excited to be returning to the Ujima stage after her debut here with Godspell (2025) to revive the “Yalla Bitch.” She received her Bachelor of Theater Arts from Buffalo State last year and her prior credits include Chiffon (Little Shop of Horrors), Chorus (Antigone) and Constance (Ride the Cyclone). She is honored to be able to bring new life to the poems of Lorna C. Hill’s life in a way that is both fresh, yet nostalgic. She thanks the directing team for their guidance and trust, her castmates for their warmth and encouragement, and her friends and family for their fervent support.
Gabriella Jean McKinley
(She/Her)Holds a B.A in Theater Arts from Buffalo State University with a concentration in Musical Theater and Theater Administration. She graduated with the President's Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student for her achievements in Theater and community work. Gabriella has appeared in several professional productions across Western New York including Toni Stone (Toni Stone/ Ujima Theater), Exit Strategy (Sadie/ Road Less Traveled Productions), and Godspell (Ensemble/ Ujima Co. Inc.), a particular highlight being The Color Purple (Celie/ Ujima Co. Inc, Shea's 710, Second GenerationTheatre) for which she won her first Artie Award. Gabriella was also nominated for an Artie for her direction of The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess (Second Generation Theater Company). Gabriella currently serves as a company member at Ujima Co. Inc. and is proud to honor Lorna's legacy in this incredibly vulnerable and honest piece.
IG: @Gabby_gjm
Marissa Biondolillo
(She/Her) started working with Ujima in 2016 where she was integral in devising and performing Free Fred Brown, and was most recently seen as Annabelle in Wedding Band. Marissa also performed in Ujima’s virtual “Hair On Fire” series which was her first exposure to the powerful poems of Yalla Bitch, and an experience she holds very dear. While she performed all over Buffalo, Ujima was her theatrical and spiritual home where she was an active company member for many years before moving to Brooklyn in 2023. Other local credits include Shakespeare in Delaware Park (As You Like It, King Lear, Love Labour’s Lost, A Winter’s Tale) and O’Connell and Company (1776, Puffs, Wicket- Artie Nomination for best supporting actress in a musical). Not a day goes by when Marissa doesn’t think about Lorna or hear her voice in her heart.
Nathania Ivey
(She/Her) is a NYC native residing in Buffalo, NY. She began dancing and singing at a young age and soon after engaged in theatrical productions throughout high school. In more recent years, she has played the role of “Squeak” in The Color Purple Musical and "Mattie" in the Wedding Band with Ujima Theater. In Western New York, she is a member of the MahataMmoho Dance Collective, Atebayilla Dance Company and the African American Cultural Center. Her desire is to build connections and healing through the arts.
Kai Crumley
(She/her & he/him) is an actor, singer, dancer, and director originally from Houston, Texas. Kai holds a BFA in Acting and Directing from Stephen F. Austin State University and has performed at theaters across the country. Kai is thrilled to make her Ujima debut in such a meaningful production and work alongside such talented artists. Recent stage credits include Ali (Mamma Mia! - 2nd Gen Theatre), Cathleen (Thirst - Irish Classical Theatre), and Mannequin (Corduroy - Theatre of Youth). Kai has also had the privilege of being Artie-nominated for Lead Actress in a Play for her role as Lily (The Early Girl - Brazen-Faced Varlets). Kai would like to thank her friends, family, and amazing partner, Harris, for their continued support.
Creative Team
Tioga Simpson | Director
(She/they) is an Ujima Company Member, multidisciplinary artist, and theater maker based in Buffalo, NY. They are humbled and grateful to be leading the creative team for this production of Yalla Bitch. Tioga’s recent credits include Directing Godspell (Ujima Co Inc) and Everybody by Branden Jacobs Jenkins (Ujima Co Inc) and Assistant Directing The Color Purple (Ujima Co Inc, Second Generation Theatre, and Shea’s 710). Their upcoming projects bring them back home, where they are always honored to contribute their artistic vision and work on their favorite team. They will be directingUnfinished Women Cry in No Man's Land While a Bird Dies in a Gilded Cage by Aishah Rahman for Ujima Co Inc. in Spring 2027. Go to Ujimacoinc.org for more information. She would like to thank her mom, her husband, and the entire Ujima Family for their constant love and support; and Spirit for her endless guidance and inspiration.
Yanava Hawkins | Choreographer
(She/Her) - Choreographer is a freestyle and movement artist whose journey with dance began at a young age as a student of her mother, Gail "Mama Gey" Lyons. While her early years were shaped by African dance, she dedicated over a decade to softball before returning to her first love—dance. After training in African dance, she was raised in the Krump community in Buffalo, which was spearheaded by her brother, Jimmy "Rook" Hawkins. Now, as an independent artist with a foundation in Krump, Yanava blends raw expression with intentional storytelling. She also thrives as a creative director, using movement as a powerful tool for connection and self-discovery.
Curtis Lovell | Music Director
(He/They) is a storyteller at heart, weaving creativity, community, and digital engagement to amplify Buffalo’s vibrant arts scene. As Artistic Director of Ujima Company, they champion artistic expression and cultural storytelling, ensuring diverse voices are heard and celebrated. A passionate loop pedalist, they craft layered soundscapes that merge rhythm, melody, and storytelling, with two recorded albums and collaborations with The Calamus Project and This American Life. With two albums recorded, music remains central to their creative identity. Curtis is forever grateful to his beautiful wife Tioga and his community.
Designers/Crew
Jennifer Simpson | Costume Designer
Rachael Jamison | Stage Manager
Aneesah Karam | Co-Asst. Stage Manager
Yael Montijo-Terrana | Co-Asst. Stage Manager
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