“I’m more excited about myself as an artist.This excitement energizes my efforts and I’ve been able to create new work.The fellowship kept my creative juices popping.”
Deborah focused her fellowship on her work as a storyteller. She said, "My renewal was all about the journey." She traveled by train, capturing stories, poems, thoughts and experiences in a journal. Destinations during her travels included New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. In New York, she reconnected with a former student, dancer/actor and Emmy-nominated choreographer Jeffrey Page and saw his performance in the Broadway musical FELA! "This was significant because I realized there are many artists who were once under my tutelage, who could now offer unique perspectives as my peers and how beneficial those types of conversations could be for my growth." While in California, she visited youth development organizations Youth Uprising in Oakland and A Place Called Home in Los Angeles.
Deborah's experiences led to her one-woman show, Deep in Love - Love Stories for Adults Only, at the IndyFringe Festival. "My talent and drive to tell stories is the foundation of my artistry yet in recent years it has been my work with children that has demanded most of my time and attention. I yearned to develop a program of stories for adult audiences."
- Creative Renewal Arts Fellow, 1999-2000
- Founder and Artistic Director, Asante Children’s Theatre
- Numerous awards and recognitions including the Aesop Cup for Tall Tales, National Association of Black Storytellers; Youth Investment Award, Indiana Youth Institute; and Achievement in Arts/Music/Theatre Award, Center for Leadership Development
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