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John Proctor

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ANNOUNCING THE TULANE THEATRE & DANCE 2026-27 SEASON
From mythic comedy and small-town romance to groundbreaking original dance works and a beloved Broadway musical, our 2026-27 season celebrates unforgettable stories, bold artistry, and the next generation of performers and creators.
Performances take place across Tulane's stages, including the Lupin Theatre, McWilliams 300, The Lab Theatre, The Deming Pavilion, and Dixon Hall.

Check out the ticketing link in our bio for more info and to get your seats- see you at the theatre!

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Mike showed up to every project with something that can't be taught. It was generative. It was collaborative. It was real. He had a way of filling a room with energy that made everyone around him rise, and he carried that into every single thing he put his hands on.

He holds a permanent place in the history of the very first We Will Dream: New Works Festival, as part of Cris Eli Blak's Sons of Liberty reading. That moment was something. A stage full of Black men in New Orleans theater, doing the work with full presence and full power. Mike was right there in the middle of it, bringing that authenticity that made you forget you were watching a performance. What I loved most was that he wasn't just showing up. He was always working on himself, always asking how he could go deeper, get better, grow. That kind of commitment to craft is rare.

And there are so many who loved him and had plans with him. Future projects. Conversations still mid-sentence. Work that was supposed to happen that now never will. That part is its own kind of grief.
And now we are still holding the loss of R'myni Watson. Our community is carrying so much, and I won't pretend this doesn't feel like too much.

There is a real hole in Black theater in New Orleans. There will never be another Michael Forrest.

Mike, you will be missed more than words can hold. And to everyone who loved him, I'm hugging you a little tighter today.
Rest well. 🕊️

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Thank you to every Dreamer who came out last night for Dream Big Night at Tulane University's Department of Theater and Dance. Witnessing The Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, directed by the brilliant Dr. John Ray Proctor, in co-production with No Dream Deferred NOLA, was something I will not forget.
Y'all. Dominique McClellan and Elizabeth McCoy are holding this story with a level of emotional intelligence and intentionality that stopped me in my tracks. Some of the most alive acting I have seen in a long time, anywhere. This production is asking the questions our moment is demanding we answer, and it is doing it with precision, with power, and with care.
Dream Big Night exists because we believe in showing up for one another. No Dream Deferred was founded in 2017 with a clear mission: to grow Black theater production AND Black theater leadership here in New Orleans. Nearly a decade later, to look across this city and see Black theater happening all year long, not just in February, not just as a single token production in a season, and to see Black theater leadership in rooms where it did not exist before, that is the dream in motion.
This is our community. This is our story. And there is an audience for it.
If you have a chance to get to McWilliams Hall on Tulane's campus tonight or tomorrow before it closes, go. Do not miss this. Forget what you think you know and show up present for this storytelling. It is magnificent.
We will see you at the next Dream Big Night. 🖤
#DreamBigNight #Dutchman #AmiriBaraka #BlackTheatre #NoDreamDeferred

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Three more performances of Dr. Proctor’s faculty research project DUTCHMAN- March 25th, 26th, & 27th in The Lab Theatre.

Don’t miss the chance to witness Amiri Baraka’s provocative one-act play that explores themes of race, identity, and societal expectations through a tense encounter between two characters on a New York subway train.

Link in bio for tickets | Photos @brucefrance

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Dream BIG. 🖤
No Dream Deferred is proud to host: A Night for Dreamers, a special invited performance of Dutchman a play by Leroi Jones /Amiri Baraka, directed by our friend and colleague, Dr. John Ray Proctor, in partnership with the Tulane University Department of Theater and Dance.

This one is for the community. We're calling all Black theater practitioners, artists, lovers of the craft, and cultural workers in New Orleans and beyond to come out and witness this essential piece of Black theater live right here in New Orleans.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Doors open at 7pm. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m., The Lab Theater, McWilliams Hall 104, Tulane University.

Stay after the curtain for a special Dreamers reception and talkback. The conversation is part of the experience.

Tickets: purplepass.com/TulaneTD. $10 students, $20 general. This is not just a show; this is a gathering; this is a kickback. See you there!

#DreamBig
#ANightForDreamers
#NoDreamDeferred
-#Dutchman
#AmiriBaraka

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Meet Dr. John "Ray" Proctor- director and dramaturg of DUTCHMAN opening Wednesday, March 18th in the Lab Theatre.

Link in bio for tickets

John Ray Proctor
Folger Theatre: Associate Professor of Theatre, Tulane University; BA in English (Webster University); MFA in Acting (West Virginia University); Ph.D. in Theatre Research (University of Wisconsin Madison); (Actor) Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, The Organic Theatre; Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Arizona Repertory Theatre; Othello, The Greenbriar; Airline Highway and Father Come Home from the Wars, Southern Rep. (Director) Into the Woods, Summer Lyric Musical Theatre; Pantomime, Crescent City Stage;Trouble in Mind, Tulane University. (Publications) Romeo and Juliet at an HBCU, Romeo and Juliet, Adaptation, and the Arts: ‘Cut Him Out in Little Stars’ (The Arden Shakespeare);
Reconsidering and Recasting, Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and Solidarity(Bloomsbury Press).

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TUTD is proud to presents a faculty research project from Dr. John 'Ray' Proctor.

DUTCHMAN
By Amiri Baraka
Directed by John 'Ray' Proctor
March 18th to 29th, The Lab Theatre- Link in bio for tickets
Dutchman is a provocative one-act play by Amiri Baraka that explores themes of race, identity, and societal expectations through a tense encounter between two characters on a New York subway train. The story centers around Clay, a young African American man who is depicted as well-dressed and intellectual, and Lula, a flirtatious white woman.

Their interplay begins lightly but quickly intensifies, revealing deeper tensions as Lula confronts Clay about his racial identity and social status. The dialogue becomes increasingly charged, with Lula using both charm and cruelty to challenge Clay's self-perception, prompting him to grapple with his insecurities and the societal stereotypes imposed upon him.

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The rest of our time in New Orleans continued to be incredible and while I didn't take enough photos, I will carry the memories with me of our tour of the St Paul Cemetery #1, spending time with friends in the streets of a new place and sharing great meals.

Shout-out to the @nolavampireapothecary as well as their boutique, speakeasy, and cafe. We visited all four over the course of our time for meals, drinks, access to a gallery over bourbon street, and an excellent late night hangout.

We know that the best beignet comes from @lorettaspralines and that gator does the body good. We know that Commander's Palace is the place for high class dining but NOLA is better at food you hold in your hands and needs a lot of napkins to deal with. We know that a group of twelve is a lot but it is also, in some ways, the best way to move through life. Rolling deep with a crew who all want to see new stuff, learn about history, and care for each other.

Thank you again to @plain.bonny.curst @operaghostpto1 @orionhasmoxie @anton_wilde @cptjillsparrow @williamdezoma @seamstrix @emerald_city_expatriate @drjohnraypr @the_real_lyric_hyperion and Weston for being there to celebrate me and to all of the conspirators who were a part of the planning, scheming, secret keeping, and otherwise celebrating.

#neworleans #birthday #surprise

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