March 15, 2026

CVV News

Supporters came out in a full house to watch Black Heaven at Unity of Merced on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1 in Merced.

Black Heaven: is a Theatrical Conversation Across Eternity, God opens the door to a sweeping dialogue on Blackness, moderated by W.E.B. Du Bois (portrayed by Merced’s acclaimed thespian Dennis Brown). Merced’s celebrated vocalist Cheryl Lockett embodies the incomparable Nina Simone and the indomitable Zora Neale Hurston. Fresno’s current poet laureate, Aideed Medina, steps into the role of author Virginia Woolf, while performer and educator Dawn Trook portrays the brilliant and haunting Sylvia Plath. Vocalist and actress Michelle Allison brings forth the powerful voices of Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou. Artist and mother of four, Mireya Rodriguez brings her passion for volunteerism and community service to her angel roles in Black Heaven.

The gathering unites iconic figures from both the living and ancestral realms—Paul Robeson, Tennessee Williams, Ossie Davis, Eugene O’Neill, Bertolt Brecht, Lorraine Hansberry, Spike Lee, Nelson Mandela, Alexandre Dumas, August Wilson, Amiri Baraka, Maxine Hong Kingston, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, and many others—each lending their voice to this timeless, transcendent conversation.

Casting Information
The production was a diverse ensemble of actors, dancers, and musicians to portray a wide range of historical, cultural, and spiritual figures.
Actors portrayed multiple accents in the play.

Director Dr. Kim McMillon is a playwright, theatre educator, and literary artist known for creating work that bridges history, spirituality, and community engagement. A longtime advocate for radical inclusion in the arts, McMillon’s productions uplift overlooked voices and invite audiences into conversations that transcend time and space. Her latest work, Black Heaven, continues her commitment to honoring ancestral wisdom and celebrating the transformative power of collective storytelling.