DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I was in my 20s living in New York when Trayvon Martin was murdered. He was 17 years old. His crime? Being a young, black male walking around at night while wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt. It was the first time I fully reckoned with my status as a Black American. I had grown up in the diverse town of Piscataway, NJ, and went through the public school system where I was able to engage with people of different races, ethnicities, and cultures. I then went to a liberal arts college during the Obama administrations, so the idea that I was living in post racial America where Dr. King’s dream could and would actually be realized didn’t seem impossible or far-fetched. I then moved to NY to pursue my personal dream of being an actress. In the city that never sleeps, I was confronted with the nightmare reality of what it meant to be Black in America; what my identity represented to others. I could be murdered by a ‘concerned’ neighbor or overzealous officer and they would be given the benefit of the doubt and most likely never held accountable by our justice system. That was a hard reality to reckon with. And so, I protested. I took to the streets and marched and chanted and sang and held signs. I screamed ‘Black Lives Matter’ with tears streaming down my face. And it helped ease the pain. But the problem persisted. When George Floyd was murdered, I thought deeply about how I wanted to publicly respond. I asked myself the same question Vanessa asks herself in the play, “If I love my state and I love my country, which I do, then how can I protect, preserve and even improve what I love?” As an artist, I have chosen to commit my time and talents to work that serves a purpose beyond me. That is why I chose to write and direct this play. My hope is that it acts as a tool to educate and inspire others. We are living in a time where falsehoods are treated as facts and history is rewritten and erased with impunity. This show serves as a rebuttal to the rampant historical erasure that is happening in our country and a reminder that those who forget their past are doomed to repeat it. It has been an honor and privilege to write and direct this piece.
I want to thank my talented cast and crew for their dedication and hard work. This production was truly a collaborative effort and I am so grateful for your ideas and patience throughout this process. Thank you to coLAB Arts and the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project for trusting me with the stories of the 161 Lost Souls. And thank all of you for being here. Remembrance is an action. I charge you to take the stories of the Lost Souls with you and re-share them with your communities. Let their names be spoken and their lives remembered. ASÉ!
Jasmine Sharay Carmichael
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Jasmine Carmichael (Writer/Director) (she/her) is a director, actress and teaching artist. Directing credits include Leni and Joseph, -itude, Love Me As The World Caves In (Rutgers Theater Company), TRUESELVES and TRUEly Heard (coLAB Arts). TV and streaming credits include Sneaky Pete, The Equalizer, Blue Bloods, Chicago PD, & Law&Order: SVU. Jasmine has also starred in several award winning indie features including Real Talk, Romeo and Juliet in Harlem, Runaway and To The Flame. Jasmine received her BFA from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. Jasmine's work as a director, actress and teaching artist is rooted in her desire to empower others and foster empathy through art.
Mercedes Robinson (Performer) (she/her) Originally from New Jersey, is pursuing her BFA in Acting at Rutgers Mason Gross. Robinson's love for theater came at a young age; more than anything, she appreciates being able to spread awareness and create change through the characters she inhabits. Her recent theater credits include: “Renee-Shapiro Epps” in Hurricane Diane, “Josephine” in Ruined and “Lady In Blue” in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.
Jace Pastras (Stage Manager) is an actor, director, and choreographer interested in collaborative new forms of storytelling. He has a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University with a minor in Creative Writing. He made his professional directorial debut with a production of The Last Five Years at Blue Fire Theatricals, a Bergen County-based theater company. In New Brunswick, he was a co-creator on the last two iterations of the TrueSelves project at coLAB Arts. He also works with Swan Dive Theater Collective, producing an annual short play festival in Montclair. Jace is a transmasculine multidisciplinary artist who is inspired by art's power to heal and cultivate community.
Victoria Masteller (Lighting Designer) (she/hers) is a multifaceted theatre-maker, educator, and administrator with a background in theatre spanning over twenty years. Recognized as the "Swiss army knife of theatre" by a producer, Victoria’s expertise encompasses diverse roles, from crafting engaging theatre curricula to spearheading complex production projects. Passionate about the transformative power of theatre, Victoria is dedicated to fostering inclusive and impactful programs at the intersection of community engagement, arts, education, and social justice. With a proven track record of success, including exceeding fundraising goals for Truthplay.org and developing innovative curricula at multiple charter schools, Victoria is committed to leveraging theatre as a catalyst for empathy, understanding, and positive change in diverse communities. Victoria graduated from Emerson College with a B.A. in Theatre Education.
Maya Ramdayal (Projection & Sound Designer) is an Indo-Caribbean American scenic designer and prop supervisor. She is honored to be the Projection Designer for this production. Recently, she worked as the Prop Designer for the premiere of I Wanttt a Unicorn Frappe(2026) at the Tank. Also she has worked as the Scenic Designer for the production of Ruined(2026) at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts. She also designed a production of Hurricane Diane (2025) and God of Vengeance(2025) at this University. She was the props supervisor for Tracy Jones (2023) at Art House Productions. Maya also has a handful of film credits for her work as a production designer and art director.
John Keller (Producer) has over 20 years of experience in theater performance and production, as well as arts education and administration, and socially engaged arts curriculum development. John is committed to creating projects that use the arts as a process to examine complex issues that affect community empowerment. While serving as Director of Education for coLAB Arts, John has developed educational residencies and teacher professional development in several central New Jersey schools. As a producer he has developed art for impact programming that center social science research in Domestic Violence Prevention, Transgender Healthcare, Immigration, Economic Justice, and Juvenile Justice System Reform. He currently teaches Theater for Social Development at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts. John earned his undergraduate degree at Holy Cross and holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Acting from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts.
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to Kristal C. Langford and her contributions as historian and researcher for the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project, without whose tireless work so much of this history would still be unknown.
This play was produced in partnership with the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project, with special thanks to the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project board of directors: Toni D. Hendrix, Kristal C. Langford, Steven J. Allard, R. Toni Armstead, Andrew Ankamah, Jr., Eugene E. Armstead, Jr., Carol A. Austin, Lauren Guastella, Peter Kahn, Elayne Risley, Rhonda Stewart, and In Memoriam Maevonia D. Caldwell.
Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com
The Journey of ASÉ ASÉ ASÉ
This fully staged new play is the result of a 4-year partnership between coLAB Arts and the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project. This play allows our organizations to share this important history to our regional community in a way that is educational and entertaining. If you would like to consider bringing this play to a school, library, senior center or other community space please reach out to us at education@colab-arts.org
If you’re interested in donating to the project, you can do so here: