About Mathletics

Mathletics is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and designed to immerse middle grades youth (current 6th, 7th, & 8th graders) in the rapidly growing world of sports data analytics and build their knowledge of statistical concepts and the data science process. The program is particularly focused on engaging African American and Latinx youth, in an effort to deepen their STEM knowledge and introduce them to STEM fields. The 2024 Mathletics program will run only for the summer, July 8 through July 26.

The program is hosted by the Coppin State University Mathematics and Computer Science department.

Activities are led by Coppin faculty, local math teachers (high-school or college level) and Coppin undergraduate students majoring in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field. Students not only learn practical skills, such as how to collect data and perform statistical analysis of the data but also engage in an end-of-camp, personal statistics project in a field of interest to them. The program exposes students to campus recreational activities, athletic coaches, and data collection and its use in decision making by sports teams.

Program Activities

• Mini sports combine and other informal sports activities for students where they engage in various sporting events, followed by performing statistical measurements on their times and measurements compared to other Mathletes
• Field trip to Washington Mystics basketball game where students collect statistical measurements of professional basketball players, followed by comparison of their measurements to those taken by the professional statisticians of the teams playing
• Recreation time at various local recreational facilities
• Trip to University of Maryland, College Park basketball arena Xfinity Center
• Interactions and presentations from athletic coaches on the importance and use of mathematics in athletics and coaching
• Gather and analyze survey data from Coppin students on campus

Apply to Mathletics

Applications now closed

Mathletics is open to students currently in grades 6, 7, or 8. The application is required and there is a $25 refundable registration cost to participate. The fee is due immediately after the student is accepted to the program.

Apply to Mathletics (Application Closed)

2024-2025 Cohort Dates

2024/2025 Anniversary Theatre Season

Coppin State University’s resident theatre company, Coppin Repertory Theatre, will raise the curtain on its twentieth season of plays, called the Anniversary Theatre Season, celebrating the rich artistic heritage of African American culture through theatre. This year’s schedule features three shows—two new dramas, and an ancient Greek classic.

Marty and the Hands That Could, the season premiere, is a new play by Coppin’s Playwright in Residence, Josh Wilder. The protagonist, Marty, is released from prison on the eve of his 25th birthday. He returns home to his family, equipped with a handwritten manuscript and big dreams to turn his life around. But his cousin Junior has also come home with problems of his own, setting them on a collision course as they struggle to break free of the curse that has haunted their family for generations. Can Marty put his hands to good use, or is his fate already written? Performances are scheduled in the James Weldon Johnson Auditorium October 10-13, 2024.

Antigone, Sophocles’ perennial classic, explores the tension between personal morality and the laws of the state, the nature of justice, the role of fate in human life, and the danger of excessive pride. This exploration produces a thought-provoking play that has been deliberated throughout the centuries. The central figure is Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, who displays an unwavering commitment to her familial duty and to the gods, even in the face of opposition from the state. Her character challenges the audience to consider the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs, even in the face of resistance from authority. King Creon, her uncle, on the other hand, is blinded to the higher rulings of the gods. He exhibits a resolute adherence to the law, maintaining order and stability for the peace of his state. The complicated relationship between personal conscience and law, tackled within the play, has enshrined Antigone as one of the most famous Greek tragedies. Production dates are December 5-8, 2024 in the Theatre Lab.

Leftovers, another new work by Josh Wilder, is the season finale. Jalil and Kwamaine just want their family to be “Cosby Show happy,” but that kind of life does not seem to be in the cards—until an enormous dandelion pops up in front of their South Philly home and wishes start falling from the sky. Seizing the possibility of no longer feeling like the city's leftovers, the brothers begin to dream their way out of the cycle of poverty that has governed their lives and find themselves on an adventure they never could have imagined. Leftovers closes the Anniversary Season again in the Theatre Lab, running May 1-4, 2025.

For more information about the Anniversary Theatre Season, call, or email Dr. Hyatt in the Visual and Performing Arts Area at (410) 951-3369 or ghyatt@coppin.edu.

The Laboratory for Environmental Contaminants (LEC) conducts research to advance knowledge in Monitoring and characterizing contaminants to fully understand their health impacts. Our research involves occurrence, fate, and transport of contaminants of emerging concern. We use socio-environmental synthesis approach and advanced analytical methods to study complex dimensions of water quality, social health, and air quality issues. Through our research we enhance academic programs and foster citizen education in such areas as contaminant science, environmental sustainability, and urban ecology.

Lab activities focus on research and education related to environmental contaminants including, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Monitoring concentration of contaminants in the soil and water systems
• Conducting laboratory and field studies on the fate of toxic substances in the environment and develop innovative technologies for the remediation of contaminated environments
• Foster relationships and ensure the exchange of data and information with local government agencies, institutions and neighboring community
• Advocate for citizen education on environmental health issues

Researchers

Lead Investigator

Mintesinot Jiru, Ph.D.

Mintesinot Jiru holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from Gent University and is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences at Coppin State University. He has over 20 years of teaching and research experience in areas of climate change and environmental systems. Dr. Jiru has done extensive work on land degradation, food security, and water management issues in Africa. Dr. Jiru’s research focuses on understanding the socio-environmental and biophysical issues encompassing water quality in Baltimore’s watersheds. Currently he is leading a research program on emerging environmental contaminants with a focus on microplastics, toxic heavy metals and pharmaceuticals (mainly estrogen in water). Dr. Jiru serves as the chief editor for the American Journal of Experimental Agriculture. He also serves as a member of the External Advisory Board for the National Socio-environmental Synthesis Center. Dr. Jiru served on various panels and task forces including Maryland governor’s task force to develop a proposal for graduate programs in alternative energy in historically black colleges and universities in Maryland.

Current Student Researchers

Annalyse Belton

Annalyse Belton is an undergraduate student at Coppin State University, majoring in Biology and Life Science with a Pre-Medical concentration and minoring in Chemistry. She aspires to become a medical physician specializing in oncology; however, her goal does not stop at patient care but extends to research into cancer health disparities. Her career journey has drawn her to the Lab for Environmental Contaminants as a student researcher. Annalyse’s research entails quantifying estrogen levels in Baltimore’s watersheds and correlating its effects on fish and the ecosystem as a whole. She has set her heart on making an impact in the world around her and always looks for new insight.

Muyang Chunga

Muyang Chunga is a Biology & Life Sciences Major with a Pre-Physician's Assistant concentration and a Chemistry Minor. Originally on a Bio-Medical track, she has fully immersed herself in her deep-founded love for Biosciences, since she began to work with Dr. Jiru as a student-researcher in the Laboratory of Environmental Contaminants. That is along with the opportunity to participate on an airborne and oceanographic research with NASA researchers as a member of the inaugural Student Airborne Science Activation cohort. Muyang is working towards pursuing a career as a researcher in Environmental and Chemical Science.

Tochi Iwuji

Hello! My name is Tochi Iwuji and I am a Biology and Life Sciences major with a concentration in Pre-Medicine and minor in Chemistry. My future aspirations in life involve becoming and obstetrician gynecologist, while gaining as much laboratory experience as I can and broadening my skills along the way. In the Laboratory for Environmental Contaminants, my research involves characterizing and analyzing phosphate and nitrate concentrations in various Baltimore watersheds. I also plan to conduct methods for the neutralization of these contaminants in water, and showcase their environmental impact.

• Nijah White (B.S. in Biology)
• Brenasia Lynn (Graduating senior - Biology)
• Ta’Shana Maddox (Graduating senior – Biology)

Recent Publications

• Vester M, Sobhi HF, Jiru M (2018) Disinfection Byproducts in Chlorinated Drinking Water. Int J Water Wastewater Treat 4(2): dx.doi. org/10.16966/2381-5299.156
• Richard Schulterbrandt Gragg, Aavudai Anandhi, Mintesinot Jiru and Kareem M. Usher. A Conceptualization of the Urban Food-Energy-Water Nexus Sustainability Paradigm: Modeling From Theory to Practice. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 6:133, 2018
• William Ghann, Tyler Harris, Daiyaan Kabir, Hyeonggon Kang, Mintesinot Jiru, Mohammed M Rahman, Meser M Ali and Jamal Uddin. Lipoic Acid Decorated Gold Nanoparticles and Their Application in the Detection of Lead Ions. Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology. Volume 10, Issue 6, 2019
• Aaliyah McCullough, Jasmynn George & Mintesinot Jiru. Detection and Quantitation of Estrogen in Watersheds. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2018
• Mintesinot Jiru. Coal-fired Power Plants and Their Impact on Ecosystems Health. Physical Science International Journal, ISSN: 2348-0130, Vol.: 16, Issue: 4, 2018
• Jiru, M. North-Kabore, J. Roth, T. Studying Water Quality Using Socio-Environmental Synthesis Approach: A Case Study in Baltimore’s Watershed. Hydrology. Vol 4, 32, 2017,
• Mintesinot Jiru. Understanding Causes of Reservoir Water Quality Deterioration Using Socio-environmental Synthesis Approach Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology, Vol. 12, 2017
• Herald T. Douglas, Raymond L. Petersen, Mintesinot Jiru and Tatiana Roth. The role of dipteran larvae in controlling Euglena concentrations in the pitchers of Sarracenia purpurea L. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. Vol 6, 2016.
• Amadi, L., Jenny, S.S., Ahmed, A., Brown, N., Yadav, S., Brown, D., Ghann, W., Gayrama, A., Jiru, M. and Uddin, J. Creation of Natural Dye Sensitized Solar Cell by Using Nanostructured Titanium Oxide. Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, 3, 25-35, 2015
• Jiru, Mintesinot. and Van Ranst, E. Increasing water productivity on Vertisols: implications for environmental sustainability. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 90 (13) 2276–2281. 2010

The Freshman English Composition (FEC) Program is guided by a commitment to assisting learners of all levels and backgrounds advance their core competencies in three primary areas: Composition and Organizational Skills, Rhetorical Modes of Discourse, and foundations of Standard English Grammar.

Our program is dedicated to helping students understand writing as a process and focuses on the continual revision of written work. Students produce multiple drafts for each project and develop the ability to critique their own writing as they learn to critique the work of others.

We encourage students to explore various topics and perspectives to develop their writing skills and to communicate effectively in a wide variety of modes and environments. Students read and evaluate texts that are culturally diverse and relevant to contemporary problems facing urban and global populations in order to gain insights into the complex nature of ideas and issues. Our students learn to evaluate arguments and narratives, analyze claims and methods, scrutinize reasoning, and draw their own well-informed conclusions.

The Freshman English Composition Program requires a two-semester sequence for first-year students. The first semester (ENGL 101: Freshman Composition I) focuses on the principles and practices of effective reading and writing, with individualized attention to the fundamentals of Standard English Grammar, compositional and organizational skills, and the creation of a portfolio illustrating mastery of several rhetorical modes of discourse. The second semester (ENGL 102: Freshman Composition II) continues to build on these skills and emphasizes the use of research for effective arguments.

How can the Writing Center help me?

The Writing Center offers a range of services that can help Coppin students throughout the writing process. Our tutors can provide guidance on:

• academic readings of any kind – essays, textbook chapters
• platform literacy -- research databases, Microsoft/Google applications, AI tools like ChatGPT, etc.
• academic writing, including critical analyses, essays, rhetorical criticisms, and research papers
• creative writing, including short stories, poems, biographies, and memoirs
• business writing, including abstracts, case studies, and personal statements
• professional writing, including resumes, cover letters, formal memos, proposals
• oral presentations, including prepared speeches, PowerPoint presentations, and group projects
• scholarship and employment applications

Here are the different ways that you can connect with the Writing Center:

• Work one-on-one with a tutor in our space within the Eagle Achievement Center
• Work one-on-one with a tutor online via Microsoft Teams
• Request written feedback and receive a response from a tutor
• Attend a Writing Center workshop

We can give feedback to texts from any course at Coppin State, as well, not just English! Your draft doesn’t need to be complete to work with a Writing Center tutor, either.

Schedule a Session

Request Written Feedback

Workshop Schedule

Do I need an appointment to get help from the Writing Center?

Nope! You can walk in and see if someone is available for immediate assistance, but we encourage writers to be proactive and schedule an appointment with us in advance. The act of writing takes time no matter what, so it helps to plan accordingly and ensure you meet your deadlines.

Tutoring appointments are available at every half-hour interval, beginning at 8:30 AM and continuing until 4:00 PM. They are typically 45-60 minutes and can be done in person or online. Coppin students can make as many appointments as they believe they will need, up to one month in advance. If you want to collaborate with the Writing Center on an assignment from start to finish, we can help set up a plan.

Furthermore, if you think you will need a longer block of time with a tutor, would like to work with peers as a small group on a shared assignment, or have any other questions about appointment scheduling, please contact us to discuss your interests further.

Do I have to pay for any of the Writing Center's services?

Nope! All Writing Center resources and services are free to students.

What should I bring to my sessions at the Writing Center?

We encourage students to have their documents – prompts, drafts, rubrics, textbooks – ready at the beginning of a tutoring session. If you like to work with hard copies of text, bring one paper copy to share with a tutor. If you prefer to work from a laptop or tablet, prepare a browser window with open tabs for your digital texts (cloud-based drafts, sources, etc.).

Also, bring an open mind! Our tutors like to think of writing as a conversation, so we can teach you new ways to think about familiar questions.

What happens when I arrive at the Center?

First, we get to know about you and what you’re working on. Then, we will ask you to write down questions you have regarding your assignment. In other words, Coppin students have the power to decide how their Writing Center tutoring sessions will unfold.

Numerous things can happen from there! For example, if you have a prompt, you and the tutor will break it down together, negotiate when you might do each task, and brainstorm potential ideas. If you have an essay you need to read, you’ll do so together and then respond to it. If you have multiple questions about how to revise a draft, the tutor will focus on the one you think is most important and recommend a future session to address the rest.

In just about every case, we like to say that Coppin students should look forward to writing with us!

What can I expect from my Writing Center tutor?

Our tutors are here to help you become more confident about your writing and research skills. This means we're available to:

• help get you started with a writing assignment, like understanding what a prompt wants you to do, creating a plan to write a first draft, and generating ideas
• provide feedback to help you revise your draft and address questions about clarity, organization, expanding on ideas, and more
• offer personalized student consultations and support your ability to look more critically at your own work
• recommend tips on critical thinking, research, and various citation styles like MLA, APA, and Chicago style
• guide you through the process of identifying and self-correcting patterns of grammatical error on the sentence level

The Writing Center is also a judgment-free space. That means we can’t tell you what grade you might receive on a completed assignment, but it also means we don’t think in terms of “good” or “bad” writing. Our larger goals are to help Coppin students find their individual voices and discover how to make our tools for responding to reading and writing more thoroughly their own, for more effective communication in and out of the classroom.

Who has access to my Writing Center work?

Unless specifically requested by a student, we do not release any working documents to your instructors.

How does the Writing Center handle plagiarism?

We will not make your edits or do your work for you—that is plagiarism. We report any evidence of intentional plagiarism to the Writing Center Coordinator for review and potential action. Intentional plagiarism is when you use someone else's ideas and/or words and purposely call them your own.

Now Hiring

Are you interested in becoming a peer tutor?

The Coppin State Writing Center is hiring new peer tutors for the Fall 2024 semester! Here’s what you need to know:

• You don’t have to be an English major to become a peer tutor at the Writing Center!
• Tutors can work up to 20 hours per week and make $17.00 an hour.
• You’ll receive training and professional development opportunities to learn more about collaborative writing processes and the conversations that drive writing centers and writers forward, ranging from multilingualism to generative AI and wellness.

What requirements are there to be considered as a peer tutor?

We have only a few requirements. First, peer tutor applicants must have passed English 101 and 102 with an “A” or “B” grade. Next, applicants must be enrolled for at least six (6) units of coursework in the Fall 2024 semester. Lastly, we always encourage applicants to come to the process with an open mind about learning new ways to think about writing!

How do you apply to be a peer tutor?

Before you start the online application form, we suggest having the following documents ready because you’ll need to upload them as part of the process:

• Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter that explains your interest in becoming a writing tutor
• Faculty recommendation document
• Writing sample of at least four (4) pages
• Copy of your projected class schedule for Fall 2024
• Copy of your unofficial transcript

When you’re ready, just click the button below to begin! If you have any questions about the role that aren’t answered here or run into any trouble with the application, please contact the Writing Center Coordinator whenever we’re open.

Apply to Be a Writing Center Tutor

2023/2024 Theatre Season

Ghosts

April 25-28, 2024

Written by Henrik Ibsen, Adapted by Richard Eyre

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

Though written in 1881, Henrik Ibsen’s domestic tragedy is still urgent, timely and relevant today. The play asks each of us to confront some very poignant questions: How does the past influence the present? How does society invade our personal lives? What do we do with the lies, deceit, and hypocrisy? Can we free ourselves from dead ideas, dead customs, and dead morals as we face our Ghosts?

Chicken & Biscuits

February 29 - March 10, 2024

Written by Douglas Lyons

Directed by Daniel Carter

Chicken & Biscuits is a raucous family comedy so full of laughter and love, it’ll leave you begging for seconds. The Jenkins family is coming together to celebrate the life of the family patriarch—hopefully without killing each other! But any hopes for a peaceful reunion unravel when a shocking family secret shows up at the funeral. A feel-good comedy that will feed your soul.

Pipeline

November 10-12, 2023

Written by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

A mother’s choices. A son’s rage. A rigged education system. In PIPELINE’s opening scene we meet Nya, a dedicated teacher in an inner-city public high school, who has just discovered that her son’s in trouble. After one impulsive act, Omari is in danger of being expelled from his upstate private school, and Nya’s hopes for his bright future are threatened. With language lyrical and potent, Morisseau’s deeply compassionate and dynamic award-winning play dives into the painful truth of “the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery

September 28 - October 1, 2023

Written by Shay Youngblood

Directed by Rashida Forman-Bey

Adapted from the Shay Youngblood's book, THE BIG MAMA STORIES, SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY is the inspirational, semi-autobiographical story of a young black girl's coming of age in the 1960s South. "Daughter," the main character and 25-year-old narrator, lost her mother when she was very young and a community of women raised her, some blood related, some not. As she remembers how her 'Big Mamas' prepared her for womanhood, the women enter to tell their stories and "Daughter" becomes a child again, reliving her vivid memories of growing up--recalling the rituals, the faith healings, and the stories she was told and the lessons she learned about survival, healing, sisterhood, family, and faith. Youngblood's play confirms the African proverb—"It takes a village to raise a child."

2022-2023 Theatre Season

Pipeline

March 2-5, 2023

Written by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

A mother’s choices. A son’s rage. A rigged education system. In PIPELINE’s opening scene we meet Nya, a dedicated teacher in an inner-city public high school, who has just discovered that her son’s in trouble. After one impulsive act, Omari is in danger of being expelled from his upstate private school, and Nya’s hopes for his bright future are threatened. With language lyrical and potent, Morisseau’s deeply compassionate and dynamic award-winning play dives into the painful truth of “the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery

April 27 - May 7, 2023

Written by Shay Youngblood

Directed by Rashida Forman-Bey

Adapted from the Shay Youngblood's book, THE BIG MAMA STORIES, SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY is the inspirational, semi-autobiographical story of a young black girl's coming of age in the 1960s South. "Daughter," the main character and 25-year-old narrator, lost her mother when she was very young and a community of women raised her, some blood related, some not. As she remembers how her 'Big Mamas' prepared her for womanhood, the women enter to tell their stories and "Daughter" becomes a child again, reliving her vivid memories of growing up--recalling the rituals, the faith healings, and the stories she was told and the lessons she learned about survival, healing, sisterhood, family, and faith. Youngblood's play confirms the African proverb—"It takes a village to raise a child."

Broke-ology

November 10-13, 2022

Written by Nathan Louis Jackson

In Broke-ology, despite economic and emotional hardships, the King family has survived thanks to their love for and dedication to one another. William, the father afflicted with MS, still lives in the house in which his sons grew up, continuously grasping at the memories of his late wife, Sonia, and the dreams they shared of a better future for their children. Ennis, his elder son, takes care of William despite the pressure that comes with having a baby of his own on the way. Malcolm, the younger son, is a college graduate recently returned home after a taste of life outside the asphyxiating cycle of poverty and struggle in which he was raised. When the offer of a job in Connecticut tempts Malcolm into leaving for good, he is forced to decide between his duty to his family and his refusal to further defer the dreams of his father.

The Overcomers Theatre Season 2021-2022

Colorblind: The Katrina Monologues

May 1-31, 2021

By Tom Flannery

Directed by Azya Maxton

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit southeast Louisiana. Today, it is still remembered as the most apocalyptic storm to hit the US, causing severe damage along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storm, the federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed in more than fifty places, causing nearly every levee to break. Thousands of families were uprooted. More than 1800 persons lost their lives. Flannery's Katrina Monologues tells the stories of nine people affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

Blues For an Alabama Sky

October 29-31, 2021

By Pearl Cleage

It's the summer of 1930 and the promises of the Harlem Renaissance are giving way to the dashed dreams of the Great Depression. Playwright Pearl Cleage tells a strikingly modern story about four friends whose lives and passions collide when an innocent newcomer from Alabama arrives in New York.

Private Wars

November 4-5, 2021
The Theatre Lab, Grace Jacobs Building, Lower Level

• Thursday November 4th at 10:30 a.m.
• Friday, November 5th at 10:30 a.m.
• Friday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m.

By James McClure

Popular anti-war comedy about the humorous and intense recovery of three Viet Nam Vets from physical wounds and PTSD.

Admission: $10 General, $5 Coppin Student with ID

Fully masked audience, proof of vaccination or negative test result within 72 hours

The Colored Museum

April 21-24, 2022

• April 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• April 23 & 24 at 3:00 p.m.

By George C. Wolfe

A poignant, socially-conscious, satirical comedy, The Colored Museum is a depiction of black culture in America, especially relevant in today’s world of “Black Lives Matter”. Tony Award-winning playwright, George C. Wolfe, takes us on a journey of Black culture with an “in-your-face,” non-apologetic, “take no prisoners” satire that electrifies, unsettles, and delights audiences of all colors.

84th Annual Conference of the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA)

April 6-9, 2022

Coppin State University
2500 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21216

The Glass Menagerie

May 6-8, 2022

By Tennessee Williams

An American classic of great tenderness, charm, and beauty, The Glass Menagerie is an icon of the American theater. Known as Tennessee Williams's autobiographical “memory play,” we meet the Wingfield family—frustrated writer Tom, his nagging mother, Amanda, who is often lost in memories of her Southern-belle past, and his painfully shy sister, Laura—and the effect a visit from a “gentleman caller” for Laura has on all their lives.

2019-2020 The Season of Change

2018-2019 The Commemorative Theatre Season

Theatre Trip to New York City to see The Lion King on Broadway

For Colored Girls… by Ntozake Shange (October 2018)

Harlem Renaissance Program (original world premiere of student-written production, Harlem Song) (November 2018)

A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller (December 2018)

KCACTF Region II Festival 2019 at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey (January 2019)

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (March 2019)

NADSA Conference 2019—Coppin State University is host (April 2019)

2017-2018 The Social Justice Theatre Season

Suspects in America by Willie Holmes

Tell Pharaoh by Loften Mitchell

KCACTF Region II Festival 2018 at Indiana University, Pennsylvania

For Colored Girls… by Ntozake Shange

2016-2017 The Awakening Theatre Season

You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown

Homeplace by Claudette Alexander-Thomason

Suspects in America (A Staged Reading) by Willie Holmes

2015-2016 The Community Theatre Season

Zooman and the Sign by Charles Fuller

Under the Skin by Michael Hollinger

Homeplace (A Staged Reading) by Claudette Alexander-Thomason

2014-2015 The Nobility Theatre Season

A Lesson Before Dying by Romulus Linney

Jar the Floor by Cheryl L. West

2013-2014 The Revelation Season

Truth Stands, a world premiere by Cynthia Hardeman (October 2013)

To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Lorraine Hansberry (November 2013) Adapted by Robert Nemiroff

The Waiting Room By Samm-Art Williams (March 2014)

2012-2013 Season

From the Mississippi Delta by Endesha Ida Mae Holland (October 2012)

Harriet Jacobs by Lydia Diamond (November 2012 & February 2013)

One Night Only- A Christmas Show by James Macon Grant (December 2012)

2011-2012 Season

Every Tongue Confess by Marcus Gardley (October 2011)

From the Mississippi Delta by Endesha Ida Mae Holland (December 2011)

God’s Trombones: From Test to Testimony by James Weldon Johnson; Adapted by D. Wambui Richardson (April 2012)

2010-2011 Season

In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks (October 2010)

Antigone by Sophocles (November 2010)

God’s Trombones by James Weldon Johnson (April 2011)

2009-2010 Season

The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe (November 2009)

Constant Star by Tazewell Thompson (March 2010)

Pill Hill by Samuel Kelley (April 2010)

Guest Artists Series

Students engage and interact with several prominent and emerging artists in our Theatre Arts Program. These artists visit the campus to act, direct, design, speak, and teach master workshops. Some of our past guests included: 

• Ruben Arana-Downs
• Nicoye Banks
• David Barr III
• Christopher Benson
• Trezana Beverley
• Maria Broom
• Phillip Burgess
• Kevin Carroll
• Rosiland Cauthen
• Anthony Chisholm
• Sharlene Clinton
• Kurt Columbus
• Aunjanue Ellis
• Cynthia Hardeman
• Charlene Harris
• Gregory J. Horton
• Sallah Jenkins
• Timothy Jones
• Lillie Kahkonen
• Woodie King, Jr.
• Kwame  Kwei-Armah
• Antoinette McDonald
• David Mitchell
• Prince No Ra
• Howard Overshown
• Donald Owens
• Marc Payne
• Rain Pryor
• D. Wambui Richardson
• Jefferson Russell
• Sadiqa  
• Mark St. Germain
• Daniel Sunjata   
• Alvin Sykes
• L. Steven Taylor
• Claudette Alexander Thomason
• R. Paul Thomason
• Douglas Turner Ward
• Allan Weeks
• Linda West
• Robert White
• Samm-Art Williams
• Ian Wooldridge

National Organizations and Festivals

Coppin students attend, participate, and compete in several national organizations and festivals.

The National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA)

NADSA is an association of students, faculty, staff, alumni and other arts/entertainment professionals from historically black colleges and universities across the country. Founded in 1936, NADSA is today the nation’s oldest surviving educational theatre association. The four-day annual conference, held in March or April, features a series of workshops, competitions, performances, panels and plenaries. Theatre and speech communication enthusiasts use NADSA as an opportunity to network, build skillsets, and share best practices of the field.

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. KCACTF aims to:

• Encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs;
• Provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills, insight, and achieve professionalism;
• Improve the quality of college and university theatre in the United States; and
• Encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived, and experimental works.

Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide. Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide.

University Resident Theatre Association

Founded in 1969, the University Resident Theatre Association works to ensure the continued renewal of the American theatre by supporting excellence in the professional training of new artists. URTA continues to develop programs and services that answer the needs of university theatres, training programs, and individual artists. Whether it’s articulating the highest standards for professional training, helping to match potential students with the MFA program best suited to their needs, facilitating engagement of professional artists at universities, or expanding the scope of our education and career outreach programs, URTA is setting the stage for emerging theatre artists, and professional advancement.

Coppin State University is a member of Alpha Psi Omega (ΑΨΩ), a National Theatre Honor Society for participants in collegiate theatre. It began in the early 20th century as result of the growing interest in dramatic arts among colleges and universities throughout America, with the aim of encouraging dramatic production at every step in a person’s academic career. Alpha Psi Omega is the largest national honor society in America. Membership is open to students who are active in collegiate/university theatre at four-year institutions. Students strive to earn membership into this prestigious organization.

Apply for the Scholarship

Theatre is a part of the Urban Arts major at Coppin. We are searching for talented individuals who are interested in majoring in theatre (Urban Arts) and whose gifts and passions are found in areas that feature on stage performances, and backstage work. Theatre is a gateway major that accommodates skills and competencies that will prepare students to work in environments that require integration and cross-pollination of thought, philosophy, and skills as 21st century learners.

Apply Now

Preparing for the Scholarship Audition

What you need to do

• Perform a monologue that suits you and your age (no more than 5 years older or younger than your actual age)
• No overdone selections                                                
• Choose and show drama that is active
• Character must tell an urgent story right now  
• Know selection well
• No profanity (know sensibilities of the adjudicators)
• Selection should honor time limit
• No dialects

Pre-preparation

• Give yourself time to get ready (can’t start the night before)
• Make a good impression
• Spend lots of time reading scripts, screenplays, poetry, fiction, musical scores, and other sources for audition material. Give yourself many options to make your final choice(s).
• Find or adapt the perfect selections
• Spend time rehearsing under the guidance of a trusted director or coach
• Research the full production
• Understand every word you speak (look up unfamiliar terms and expressions)
• Make it fresh
• Practice your slate
  • short and upbeat
  • A sincere greeting, your name, the play from which your selection is taken, and the author is sufficient information
  • Place a chair, if needed, and set before your introduction
  • Begin and end strongly
  • Practice your entire presentation
  • At the end, restate your name, the selection, your number and say a dignified “Thank you” and exit

 Your Appearance

•  Dressing is a part of the “package”
•  Polished, professional appearance
•  Clothing with neutral, plain, and solid colors work best
•  Avoid noisy footwear and jewelry (keep jewelry small and  unobtrusive—again, loop earrings may steal the attention from your work; you are not there to make a fashion statement)
•  Dancers should not hide their bodies beneath loose clothing

The Printed Materials

Résumé, application, sheet music:

• Neat and error-free
• Music should be in the proper key (with returns, tempo changes, and other irregularities marked clearly for the accompanist—remember, this is somebody who will be reading the music on the spot)

Taking Care of Yourself

• Take care of your voice
• Get a good night’s sleep
• On Audition day
  • Eat lightly before the audition
  • Arrive early enough to scope out the audition space, if possible
  • Find a quiet place to warm up your voice and body
  • Know where you will focus your eyes during your presentation
  • Experts suggest visualizing your partner at some point just above the heads of the auditors
  • Address your listeners directly
  • Be sensitive to the acoustics of the space. Use sufficient breath to fill the room with your voice

What Not to Do

• Do not apologize or make excuses                                                      
• If you blank out, take a breath, remember your character’s objective, find a line, and continue
• Never ask to start over, particularly in a singing or dance audition
• Be prepared to answer auditors’ questions when your presentation is over. Know the full play, your character’s objectives, and intentions
• Dancers, especially, should remain in their places until excused
• Enjoy yourself. Share your love of performing with your audience

Pointers for Completing the Audition

• Be animated
• Show range in pitch and physicality (do not be monotone)
• Use your whole body and not just from the waist up
• Use the stage
• Do not turn your back to the audience or turn your performance to the side. Let the director see the open (full front) view. It is the strongest body position for your presentation.
• Feel free to use several levels, i.e., sitting in a chair, standing, walking with a purpose
• Speak with a clear, distinct, and articulate voice
• Listen to the text that you are speaking or singing or dancing to for the show. Let it make sense to you.
• Please look and learn to pronounce words that are not familiar to you before coming to the audition
• Do not perform an act that has offensive words, trigger words or vulgar language (plenty of time to explore that avenue later)
• Stay away from sexually suggestive works.
• Either sing a cappella or with an instrumental track. DO NOT SING WITH THE CD. We want to hear you and not the original artist singing.
• Act like you want to win a spot in the show! Make it hard for the sponsors to say no to you.
• Choose a work that shows your range of talent.
• Choose one that is age and gender appropriate.

“Luck is what happens with preparation meets opportunity.”

Be very prepared. You are trying to make a good impression. Break-a-leg!