Upcoming 2026-2027 Production

​Christopher Newport University & Hampton University 
will present

NOW TO ASHES
WRITTEN  BY RENAE ERICHSEN-TEAL & SARAH PULTZ
DIRECTED BY DENISE GILLMAN & DR. IRIS GOODE-MIDDLETON

Spring 2026 & 2027

​More details coming soon! 
In a historic collaboration, Christopher Newport University (CNU) and Hampton University (HU) will workshop and produce the world premiere of NOW TO ASHES by Renae Erichsen-Teal and Sarah Pultz. The collaboration will cast students from both universities alongside local artists, with the workshop occurring in May 2026 and the full production premiering in April 2027 at CNU and various locations. The co-production will be co-directed by CNU’s Denise Gillman and HU’s Dr. Iris Goode-Middleton. The collaborative process reflects the development of NOW TO ASHES to date, which is co-written and heavily emphasizes partnerships, coalition-building, and community collaboration as central themes. 

We are actively seeking venues and collaborators interested in hosting productions of the Spring 2027 production of NOW TO ASHES in Charleston, Philadelphia, Boston, DC, and New York.  Contact us to get involved today, or give a gift to our production fund! 
MEET THE PLAYWRIGHTS

​Renae Erichsen-Teal (co-writer) is a professional writer, actor, and singer based in the D.C. Metro area. Selected credits include the 2025 District Fringe Festival’s staged reading of Now to Ashes (playwright), the Kennedy Center 2019 Page-To-Stage Festival’s workshop of Now To Ashes (playwright), Story District's He Said, She Said, They Said (writer, storyteller), and Theatre Prometheus' Abortion Road Trip (actor) at the Capital Fringe Festival, where it was the winner of the Best Comedy Award. Renae is also a seasoned member of the Washington Chorus (singer). She received her training and education at Christopher Newport University (vocal performance, acting), Story District (storytelling/writing), and Studio Theater Conservatory (acting). (renaeerichsen.com). 
Sarah Pultz is a Playwright and Freelance Dramaturg living in the Washington, DC area. Her main skill sets include script editing, research, and assistant directing. She has worked with multiple up-and-coming playwrights and has helped produce plays at the D.C. Fringe Festival as well as other small, local theatre companies. Sarah attended The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she received her M.A in Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy. Since then, she has focused her career on facilitating new art and helping new artists discover and develop their voices. (sarahpultz.com)
MEET THE PRODUCERS

Christopher Newport University aspires to be the nation’s premier regional public university, anchored in excellence and focused on students, offering an innovative education embedded in the liberal arts that advances the values of honor, service, scholarship, and leadership to empower graduates to lead lives of significance. 
Hampton University is a historically Black, research-focused institution grounded in a commitment to an education for life, innovation, the creation of new knowledge and artistic works, and respect for diverse cultures. The mission of the University is to promote learning, the building of character, and the holistic preparation of students for positions of global leadership and lives of service. ​
MEET THE DIRECTORS
​
​Denise Gillman received the 2014 Association for Theatre in Higher Education & The Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival Prize for Teaching Innovation for discovering new pathways for student success in the field of theatre through her teaching, directing and scholarship on science-themed plays. She received her MFA in Directing from California Institute of the Arts and her BFA in Theater: Acting from West Virginia University. Ms. Gillman is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Union. Her professional directing work has been seen on multiple stages in Florida, California and Minnesota. At Mad Cow Theatre in Orlando, Florida, she directed Photograph 51, Dinner with Friends, Collected Stories, Legacy of Light, Pericles, Eurydice, Talley’s Folly, Humble Boy and Mary’s Wedding. She consulted with Mad Cow Theatre on their 1st Annual Science Play Festival. In Los Angeles, she directed the World Premiere of Bertolt Brecht and W.H. Auden’s adaptation of Duchess of Malfi which was critically acclaimed by the LA Times, Back Stage West, LA Weekly and American Theatre Magazine. She directed the American Premiere of Mad Boy Chronicle, and Terra Nova, which garnered “Critic’s Choice” from the Los Angeles Times. At The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis she directed The Complete Story of the War. At CNU, she received The Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival’s Meritorious Achievement Awards for her direction of Silent Sky, Legacy of Light, Duchess of Malfi and Enchanted April. Gillman oversees the Directing and Dramatic Literature Concentration and teaches directing, acting and dramatic literature courses.
Dr. Iris Goode-Middleton is the Director of both student theatre and liberal studies at Hampton University. She earned her BA in Theatre from York College/ City University of New York; an MA in Theatre from Regent University; a MBA from Saint Leo University; and a PHD in Communication from Liberty University. She is the owner of the Goode Dance Project, and The Good Girl Group which focuses on promoting self-care and positive self-talk to women and girls. She is an actress, director, playwright, and choreographer. She serves as co-chair for the College and University division on the Virginia Theatre Association, assistant treasurer for the Black Theatre Network, board member for the African-American Newport News Historical Society, and frequent collaborator with the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center. Her book, Soulful Reflections, Affirming Self-Talk for Black Women will be released in December of 2024. Her research interests focus on Black theatre, self-communication, and the impact of media on Black women and girls’ self, which fueled her emerging Black Consonance and Dissonance theory.