Buffalo State Alumni, Faculty Recognized As ‘Color Purple’ Wins Big at Arties

In 2018, then–Buffalo State sophomore Gabriella McKinley played Shug Avery in Casting Hall’s production of The Color Purple. But when McKinley auditioned last fall for the same musical, co-produced by Second Generation Theatre, Shea’s 710 Theatre, and Ujima Company (where she is program director), director Sarah Norat-Phillips, ’78, saw something different. She cast McKinley as the musical’s lead role: Celie Harris.

“I told Sarah I wanted to be considered for Shug,” McKinley said. “But I’d matured [since college], and she saw a side of me that I hadn’t seen, a side that playing Celie has allowed me to see.” 

Norat-Phillips knew what she was doing. McKinley was awarded Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance at the 33rd annual Artie Awards for local theater on June 10. Norat-Phillips was awarded Outstanding Direction of a Musical, and the production was honored with one of the evening’s most significant awards: Outstanding Production of a Musical.

“It was an honor,” McKinley said. “And hearing and seeing how joyful people were when I won… That meant more to me—people I love and respect standing up and applauding the work I’d poured my soul into.”

Based on the Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple follows Celie from childhood to adulthood in rural Georgia—through assault and multiple pregnancies at the hands of her father, separation from beloved younger sister Nettie, an abusive marriage to “Mister,” a romantic relationship with Shug, and ultimate triumph as an entrepreneur. It’s a meaty role, the kind that actors both relish and to which they feel a responsibility to do justice. 

McKinley credits her Buffalo State education with providing the training that allowed her to rise to that challenge. 

“Because I was able to do so many shows at Buffalo State, I was very familiar with the run of a show, my voice, how long it takes me to memorize, and the work I have to do at home,” she said. “I was able to tell The Color Purple team, ‘I’m going to need months to work on this role.’”

McKinley learned all her music before the start of rehearsals so that she could focus on the character’s emotional journey. “It required so much work,” she said, “but all the discipline instilled in me at Buffalo State made slipping into a role that required such strength and stamina seamless.”

Still, McKinley admitted, she had doubts in the face of such a daunting role. 

“I kept saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’” she said. “The role felt like something to carry. It was a lot harder than playing Shug; Celie has a heavy, demanding story. But it let me know I’m capable of a lot more than I thought. I am smarter, stronger, braver, and more committed to this craft than I ever thought I was.”

McKinley was supported by a team studded with Buffalo State faculty and fellow alumni: in addition to McKinley and Norat-Phillips, the production team included Naila Ansari, assistant professor of theater and Africana studies (choreographer; nominated for Outstanding Choreography of a Musical); Emma Connaire, ’23 (assistant lighting designer); Amber Greer, ’21 (co-props coordinator); Curtis Lovell (in the role of Sofia; nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical); Karen Saxon, ’03, lecturer of music (music director); and Marcus Watson, associate professor and coordinator of Africana studies (dialect coach). 

McKinley said the shared Buffalo State background enhanced the experience. “There is a sense of similarity in approach and understanding and the way that we communicate ideas,” she said. “I found my direction from Sarah, Naila, and Karen to be very clear. I definitely saw the Buff State seal of preparedness.”

“There is a saying that a cast and crew become your family,” Ansari added. “The beautiful part about The Color Purple was we were already family. Buffalo State cultivates amazing talent. I was honored to be a part of such a historical moment for Western New York theater, and even more grateful to do it Bengal strong.” 

Buffalo State’s regional premiere production of the 2015 revival script of The Color Purple, in 2018, is still an often-talked-about show.

“We had so much Black talent on campus and that we were in community with,” McKinley said. “We sold out; we had people standing in the back. It was a fabulous, powerful experience.”

She added that the community outreach the recent production conducted—thanks in large part to sponsor SaveOnSP—was just as meaningful as being on stage. 

“To have communities of color and people from all walks of life invited downtown into that space and let them know that this was their story meant the world to me,” McKinley said. “We were on stage being uplifted, singing gospel, folk, and Black music; our values, our music, our culture, the way we talk—we were all pulling from our own experiences. People were touched. It made me want to do this even more.”

About the Artie Awards
Initiated in 1991, the Artie Awards are held each year to celebrate Western New York’s theater community. Eligible artists must live and work in the Buffalo area, while theaters must produce work locally, primarily with local artists. The Artie Awards serve to recognize Western New York’s theater arts as well as raise funds for the YOU Center for Wellness at ECMC. Over the years, through contributions from theater audiences and proceeds from red-ribbon sales, the Arties have raised over $500,000 for AIDS-related charities.

Lead photo and all photos from professional production by Stephen Gabris; courtesy of Second Generation Theatre, Shea's 710 Theatre, and Ujima Company.

Photo from Casting Hall production by Buffalo State Marketing and Communications.