Arkansas Repertory Theatre Adds Artists for ME AND THE DEVIL

Tickets are on sale now for the first production of The Rep’s 2025 SummerStage season, ME AND THE DEVIL.  The world-premiere play with music is written and directed by The Rep’s new Artistic Director, Little Rock-native and Broadway director, Steve H. Broadnax III. 

ME AND THE DEVIL features Dyllón Burnside (star of the Emmy-winning FX series “Pose”, and Broadway’s Holler if you Hear Me), Shayna Small (The Public, Baltimore Center Stage, Geffen Playhouse), and David Watkins (“Whitney”- Lifetime, lead singer of the multi-platinum group, Ready for the World).

“At the crossroads outside a southeast Arkansas juke joint, a blues music icon struck the deal of a lifetime (and beyond).  Now he must convince an infernal jury that his legacy deserves redemption.”

The creative team for ME AND THE DEVIL includes Dan Robinson (Scenic Designer), Celeste Jennings (Costume Designer), Dena Kimberling (Lighting Designer), Curtis Craig (Sound Designer), Ricardo Richardson (Music Director), Jenea Jordan (Wig & Hair Designer), and Luisa Ann Torres (Production Stage Manager).

Performances run May 27 through June 8, 2025, Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm.  Tickets can be purchased online or by calling The Rep’s Box Office at (501) 378-0405.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Steve H. Broadnax III is the newly appointed Artistic Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  He is a distinguished director, writer, educator, and activist whose work bridges art, education, and social justice.

Broadnax’s professional directing credits include Thoughts of a Colored Man (Broadway), Suzan-Lori Parks' Sally and Tom at the Guthrie Theatre (World Première) and the Geffen Theatre, Katori Hall’s 2021 Pulitzer Prize Première The Hot Wing King at The Signature Theatre, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate at The Old Globe, Lee Edward Colston’s The First Deep Breath at Chicago’s Victory Garden Theatre (Premiere and Winner of Jeff Awards Best New Work) and the Geffen Theatre, Dominique Morisseau’s Blood at the Root at the National Black Theatre (Winner of Kennedy Center's Hip Hop Theater Creator Award), and William Jackson Harper’s Premiere Travisville at NYC Ensemble Studio. His work has also been featured at the historic Apollo Theatre, National Black Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Victory Gardens in Chicago, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and Signature Theatre Company. These collaborations have showcased his directorial prowess and created platforms for emerging artists and colleagues.

In addition to his directing accomplishments, Broadnax is an accomplished playwright. His writing credits include Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland, Bonez (Winner of Philadelphia's Barrymore Award for Best Production), and Me and the Devil. His works reflect his commitment to storytelling that explores identity, history, and the human condition.

Broadnax’s academic contributions are highlighted by his 18-year tenure at Penn State University, where, as a Tenured, full-time professor, he serves as Co-Head of MFA Directing. He has provided professional opportunities to faculty, students, and alumni, fostering a thriving artistic community.

Broadnax is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and served as the Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light Theatre. In recognition of his significant contributions to the arts, Broadnax was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.

Dyllón Burnside is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, singer, and writer. He gained international praise for his starring role as ‘Ricky Evangelista’ on all 3 seasons of Ryan Murphy’s Emmy winning FX series, Pose. A frequent collaborator with Ryan Murphy, he has also starred in Monster: Dahmer, which broke Netflix records with over 1 billion hours viewed, and American Horror Story. He made his London stage debut in 2023 playing the titular role in Black Superhero at The Royal Court Theatre.

Burnside first captivated audiences with his Broadway debut, starring as Anthony in 2014’s Holler if Ya Hear Me, a hip-hop musical inspired by the music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur. He returned to the Broadway stage in the production of Thoughts of a Colored Man in 2021 at the Golden Theatre. He has appeared in NBC’s Peter Pan Live! and the HBO series High Maintenance, all while completing his final year at the prestigious CAP21 Conservatory and The New School.

As a singer/songwriter, Burnside has released three chart-topping solo singles, “Silence”, “Heaven”, and “Superpowers” and is currently finishing his debut album. He has toured the country performing original music alongside folks like Stevie Wonder and Rihanna in such venues as Madison Square Garden and the Nokia Theater. In 2022, he embarked on the five city Superpowers Pride Tour, playing Weho Pride, Chicago Pride, MobiFest in New York City, Montclair Pride, and Atlanta Black pride. In 2019, Burnside opened the US Open Men’s finals, performing “God Bless America”. He headlined and produced a sold-out benefit concert for GLSEN at the Cutting Room in New York City. 

In 2020, Burnside produced and hosted Prideland, a one-hour documentary and a short-form digital series for PBS exploring the lives of LGBTQ+ people living in the southern region of the United States, which received a Daytime Emmy Award, two Telly Awards and a GLAAD Media Award nomination. He has spoken at conferences, festivals, universities, and corporations such as NIKE, Tribeca Film Festival, Berklee College of Music, University of Central Florida, UT Austin, Essence Festival, Creating Change Conference, and BEAM among others about representation, mental health, DEI, and expanding narratives around racial and sexual identity. He has been honored by GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign for his advocacy dedication to civil and LGBTQ+ rights.

Shayna Small, actor, musician and audiobook narrator, is thrilled to be making her Arkansas Rep debut. Off Broadway: Goldie, Max and the Milk (59E59), Parable of the Sower (The Public), Just Right Just Now (Lesser America). Regional Theatre: Stew and The Buddy Holly Story (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Aint No Mo’, The Glorious World of Crowns Kinks and Curls (Baltimore CenterStage), How to Catch Creation (Geva Theatre), Paradise Blue (The Geffen Playhouse), How to Catch Creation (Baltimore Center Stage and Philadelphia Theater Company), Intimate Apparel (Bay Street Theater), The Colored Museum (The Huntington). Tour: Parable of the Sower, Lauren Olamina. Her voice can be regularly heard on Apple News Audio and she has narrated over 200 audiobooks for which she has been awarded multiple Audio Earphone Awards, Sovas Award, Audies, and Booklist’s 2020 Voice of Choice. Education: Baltimore School for the Arts & The Juilliard School.