Meet the Director and the Cast

Jade King Carroll, Director •

Jade King Carroll is an award-winning director based in New York City. She originally hails from Woodstock, NY.  

Jade specializes in new play development and directing. She is a multiple time collaborator with playwrights such as Dominique Morisseau, Dael Orlandersmith, Chisa Hutchinson, Sarah Gancher. She has also worked with many other emerging writers at organizations including the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Institute, Huntington Theatre, Ars Nova, Playwrights Horizons and The Civilians. Carroll has directed new audio dramas for Audible, Broadway Podcast Network, GEVA Theatre Center, and Marvel Entertainment As the Artistic Associate at Second Stage Theatre, she worked on world premieres by Lynn Nottage, Ana Deavere Smith, Kristoffer Diaz, Rajiv Joseph, and Douglas Carter Beane, along with running 2ST’s education department. Currently, Jade is the resident artist at Dorset Theatre Festival, where she helms the commissioning and fellowship program along with their StageFree audio play series. Carroll is also a part of the artistic team at Rattlestick Theatre and is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect.  

Jade has a long history of directing the classics and a strong desire to expand our cultural canon. She has directed over 50 productions across the country at such theatres as Primary Stages, Shakespeare Theatre DC, Milwaukee Repertory, Atlantic Theatre, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, the McCarter Theatre Center at Princeton University, INTAR, Playwright’s Realm, The Wild Project, Miami New Drama, Portland Stage, Weston Playhouse, Portland Playhouse, City Theatre, Marin Theatre, Theatreworks, Two River Theatre, Playmakers Rep, People’s Light & Theatre, NYC Parks Summer Stages, Perseverance Theatre, Joe’s Pub, and Chautauqua Theatre Company.   

At Second Stage, Jade was a Van Lier and NYC Council of the Arts directing fellow, and received a TCG New Generation grant in artistic directing. She is a former NYTW emerging artist fellow, artistic apprentice at the Women’s Project Theatre, and a directing and producing apprentice at the McCarter Theatre Center at Princeton University. She was a Gates Millennium scholar and recently received a 40 under 40 award from her alma mater, SUNY New Paltz. She was also the recipient of the Paul Green Award from the National Theatre Conference and the estate of August Wilson, and 2020 Drama League Award. She was an associate director on Broadway for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE featuring Blair Underwood and Daphne Rubin-Vega and THE GIN GAME featuring James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson.  

As an educator, Jade has taught and guest directed at Juilliard, Princeton, NYU, Iowa University, Penn State, Adelphi University, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Point Park University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, West Virginia University, Bard College, Columbia University, and Chautauqua Theatre Company. 

Lance E. Nichols, August Wilson • This veteran actor character actor is best remembered as dentist Larry Williams on the critically acclaimed HBO series Treme which chronicled the lives of post Hurricane Katrina natives and their efforts in rebuilding their lives. His memorable performance as the “faith healing” preacher in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button garnered praise from critics and the general public. He recurred as The River King in the AMC television series Into The Badlands. He has had recurring rolls on Queen of the South, The Chosen and numerous television shows throughout his 40 year career. He can be seen in the upcoming Amazon film The Burial starring Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx and Jurnee Smollet as well as the AMC series Demascus with Martin Lawrence, Janet Hubert, and Lynn Whitefield.  Mr. Nichols and his wife Zardis, of 43 years, co-produced their first television pilot Shepherd which won Best Drama at the prestigious ITVFest in 2017 and where he won Best Actor in a Drama. Their win garnered a development meeting with HBO. Lance and his wife are co-owners of Lanzardis Productions which specializes in training young professionals for working in the entertainment industry. In their leisure time they enjoy travel, dining and attending the New Orleans Saints football games.