This fall, Department of Theatre & Drama assistant professor Shavonne Coleman and a troupe of SMTD theatre & drama students are touring her adaptation of the children’s book Your Name Is a Song, originally written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, to schools throughout the area. Audiences are invited to join Coleman and the company for a single public performance on North Campus.

Your Name Is a Song tells the story of Kora-Jalimuso, a young girl starting a new school. Her name becomes a source of contention on her first day, as students and teachers – both well-meaning and otherwise – continually mispronounce it, impacting her sense of belonging. By the end of the day, her frustration and anger bubble over. Luckily, her mother arrives just in time to pick her up and teach her a valuable lesson.

Originally commissioned by Seattle Children’s Theatre, Your Name Is a Song is a collaboration featuring music by Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and assistance from the New Harmony Project.

Perfect for families, Your Name Is a Song has a running time of about 45 minutes.