Dr. Abeni El-Amin and Terry Dumphord present the next episode of The Ricochet Effect: Voices, with none other than Voices Amplified, a collective dedicated to empowering artists and creating equitable spaces in arts education and theater performance, is proud to present in collaboration with Project Ricochet’s Urban Art Collective, Make Them Hear You, a musical theater cabaret series that celebrates the extraordinary contributions of African American artists through powerful performances of songs, visual art, and spoken word.
Studio Guests
Mya Barber, a senior at the University of Kentucky, is pursuing a dual degree Theatre and Human Communication, with a minor in Vocal Performance, a certificate in Musical Theatre. Born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, Mya discovered her passion for performing through singing and acting in her local church. Her first leading role came in high school, where she portrayed Aida in Aida.
Elijah Merricks, a Junior at the University of Kentucky, is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Theatre with a Musical Theatre certificate. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Elijah’s love for performing began at church and blossomed with his first leading role as Pippin in high school. At UKY, he debuted as Cowboy Bob in Footloose.
Vanessa Becker Weig is Co-Founding Executive Artistic Director of Voices Amplified and is on the Part-Time Music and Theatre Faculty at Eastern Kentucky University. She has over 125 directing, choreography, and performance credits. Vanessa was the Education Director 2015-2019 and Artistic Director (2019-20) for Woodford Theatre. Before moving to Lexington, Vanessa served for ten years as the Education Director and Resident Director/Actor for the Phoenix Theatre in Columbus Ohio. Vanessa is a proud recipient of a Bluegrass Alliance for Women Impact Award and the prestigious Freddie G Fellowship from Music Theatre International.
Learn more about Voices Amplified.
