The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Theater Department is undergoing a revitalization, a testament to the collective efforts of faculty, students and the community, according to a news release.
Taijee Bunch, in his first year as UAPB’s theater instructor, directed the production of “The Color Purple, The Musical” in April and is currently working as the director for “Memphis the Musical,” set for July 17-20 in the Catherine M. Bellamy Theater at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St.
The Lonoke native learned about the UAPB career opportunity through a friend. At the time, he was working on his Master of Fine Arts degree in performance and decided to pursue joining UAPB.
He obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater in 2019 and Master of Arts in teaching in 2023 from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He is pursuing his doctoral degree in education and educational leadership from Capella University.
UAPB’s theater program is being rebuilt, and one aspect has been completed. The program is offered through the UAPB School of Arts and Sciences, Department of English, Humanities and Foreign Languages, with Kevin Sanders as interim chair.
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“Right now, we have the theater minor in place. We’re working on getting everything ready for the major,” Bunch said.
The minor’s course requirements, including stage design, costume design, acting I and II, Theater of the African Diaspora and theater appreciation, offer an educational experience, according to the release.
Bunch also offers a playwriting course, which delves into villainy and character development themes.
“It always sparks a conversation because we have to think about the characters we’ve seen in our lives,” he said.
He added that he is also teaching Introduction to Shakespeare from a “dramaturgical or research and theater aspect, versus the actual element of performance. A lot of the things I teach are rooted in research.”
When Bunch arrived at UAPB, he discovered that a theatrical production had not been presented in several years.
“I think the last thing I saw when I was looking to do shows on campus was 2018. So, I’m assuming that was the last little bit before the break happened. I was even more thrilled to know that the students were pushing that drive to get it back on campus, led by Mr. (Kevin) Sanders. And so that was really good,” Bunch said.
Bunch’s collaboration between Sanders, who serves as assistant professor of English and interim chair of the department at UAPB School of Arts and Sciences, and faculty and students resulted in “The Color Purple” being chosen as the first production.
“This choice was significant as ‘The Color Purple’ is a powerful and resonant story that addresses important social issues, making it a perfect vehicle for the theater program’s revitalization. The show wrapped up a successful five-day run at the Arts & Science Center of Southeast Arkansas, including sell-out performances and rave reviews from the community,” the release said.
“THE COLOR PURPLE”
Bunch shared insight on the purpose of relaunching with “The Color Purple.”
“So, I was thinking about something small and something on a large scale because my entire push and plan were to build this community bridge between the Pine Bluff community, UAPB’s campus, and the local arts that already existed as a recruitment tool to like to say, ‘Hey, this is what we do at UAPB.’ But also, the goal is to keep our community coming to UAPB,” he said.
As word of “The Color Purple” spread, Bunch said that numerous people contacted him expressing a desire to help out in various ways. The show featured six UAPB students, faculty, staff, and residents from Pine Bluff and Little Rock who offered their talents.
“As far as my creative team, I believe the majority of my creative team are UAPB staff and faculty,” Bunch said.
“The Color Purple” had something for everyone.
“Celie’s story appeals to black women while reflecting on their struggles and triumphs. There’s Mister, who everybody sees as a villain,” the release said.
Bunch said that when he teaches villainy in class, he emphasizes the fact that people who are hurt tend to hurt others.
“And it’s not to excuse anything that he did, but to take a deeper glance into why he does the things that he does, and know that generational trauma is passed on. We see his father, and we also see his son, which is a very unique perspective we don’t get to see all the time. And it only took one person to stop it, and that was Harpo. And he learned from his son, and he stopped it himself,” Bunch said.
During rehearsals of “The Color Purple,” Bunch used several opportunities to teach cast members.
“Even in the rehearsals, I was like, ‘You know somebody is going to need this story. If there’s a moment where you ever feel like you can’t find the personal connection, know that that personal connection might be for someone else and allow that to lead you into making these choices and things.’ I love teaching while doing, and I put my best foot forward with that too, and it’s going pretty well, honestly,” Bunch said.
EXPANSIONS AT UAPB
While UAPB is undergoing a series of groundbreakings, renovations and construction of new facilities, Bunch patiently awaits a new home on campus where plays can be produced and presented. He said that once resources grow, he wants to branch out with plays such as “Little Shop of Horrors.” In the meantime, he expresses gratitude for the availability of spaces like the Arts & Science Center downtown. He also intends to speak with officials at the Pine Bluff Convention Center regarding the theater space in that facility.
The plan is to connect the convention center with UAPB because it will provide educational opportunities for stage lighting and technology they have.
“We can build that educational program and eventually build a bridge where we could have our classes here, go to the convention center, and revitalize arts in Pine Bluff as a whole rather than just on the campus,” he said.
During spring break, Bunch attended the Southeastern Theater Conference to gain knowledge, especially as a first-time instructor. The conference provided insights and tools that Bunch is eager to implement in his teaching, further enhancing the quality of the theater program at UAPB.
This spring semester, he also traveled to Jackson, Miss., with four UAPB students, where they participated in a monologue and dual acting competition at the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts Inc. The event returned for the first time since the global pandemic.
“It’s mostly HBCUs that compete against each other. I heard that UAPB used to be the one to beat at those competitions, so that’s really good. It’s a unique opportunity, and I’m excited they get to experience that,” he said.
When he teaches acting, he encourages students to find their own pathway. He tells them that when they audition, casting directors know up front if they will pick them or not.
“We actually practice our introductions, and I tell them a lot of the time, casting directors of performances, that they know if they will cast you on how you introduce yourself. There’s an element of confidence that is exuded whenever you’re able to say, ‘Hello, this is who I am.’ And we practice little things like literally stepping into character because a lot of people, when they do that in the introduction, they step back. I teach them to step in, activate, turn on that light, then step out … I focus a lot on those little things to build up the bigger ones,” Bunch said.
When it comes to crying on command, he tells them people have their way of doing this, but he views it simply as breathing.
“We practice breathing exercises — the art of breathing. We look at what performance is … a routine, that’s a daily performance. The role that we take is performance. Acting is imitating life. In order to connect those things, you almost have to just know who you are and know more about yourself. I love to hype my students by telling them no one can tell you better how to do you other than you,” Bunch said.
UNCOVERING HIDDEN TALENT
Bunch’s goal is to uncover the hidden talent surrounding the university and the community. Bunch himself possesses many gifts. He has played instruments, including the trombone and baritone, from sixth grade through his first years in college.
“I started as a singer. My grandfather taught me how to sing at a very young age. I started out singing in Gospel groups. I transitioned into theater, I believe, in my sixth-grade year. I’ve been doing theater ever since,” he said.
He recently closed the production of “Dream Girls” in Little Rock, which marked his 53rd production and the 247th performance of his career.
“So, I’m very passionate about performance in general. And that helps me to lead and guide others into that aspect when it comes to performance and what performance looks like, especially through the lens of brown eyes and skin. The theater is still very conservative. And so, I always lead, and I always teach, even my students or people who aren’t my students but work under me, to say that we deserve to be in the room,” Bunch said.
He is very intentional about creating space for marginalized groups. Even as an undergraduate student, his capstone allowed him to become the first Black student to write, produce, and direct his own work in a production at SAU.
After living in Magnolia for five years, Bunch moved to Little Rock, where he founded the Little Rock Black Theater Collective. He explained that this organization is not limited to those with theatrical talent alone but is also open to singers, filmmakers and music producers. The group began three years ago with less than a dozen members and now boasts 300. Although the organization primarily exists online, he plans to seek nonprofit status in the future.
Bunch loves playwriting. He’s working on a “cycle of plays.” He wants to release one, but admits that he cannot release one without releasing them all.
“I’m probably not going to release it until all seven of them are done,” he said.
Bunch said that the theater presents numerous opportunities for a variety of individuals.
“Theater is one of those things that will never get replaced,” he said. “It’s hard to imitate live theater. There’s always a job in it. I got to see the show for free. There’s a complete list of opportunities, and it’s a place where you can be who you are and find a spot for yourself. It’s one of those jobs that won’t be replaced by AI. I can say that.”
