A community comes together
When Melissa “Lola” Youngblood was ready to tell her story, her community showed up. On October 24, 2026, students, family members, and performers from across the country came together at Marietta’s Theatre in the Square for one night of LOLA: Here She Is! Youngblood wrote and directed the one-woman show, then stepped into the light to tell it herself.
The teacher took the stage
Youngblood teaches theatre at Campbell Middle School, where she helps young performers find their footing onstage. That made the students’ presence especially meaningful. They got to see their teacher do what she asks of them in rehearsal: take a risk, trust the work, and share something personal with an audience.
Before the performance, Youngblood spoke with the Marietta Daily Journal about how theatre gave her a place to express herself while growing up with insecurities. Onstage, she could tell that story in her own time, with room for the humor, hurt, and joy that came with it.
Live music carried the story
With musical direction by Wilkie Ferguson III, the evening moved through Broadway numbers, soulful ballads, and jazz. Each song gave Lola another way to tell us where she’d been and what it took to get here. Over the course of roughly two hours, live music, dance, and storytelling gave the audience a fuller picture of the woman at the center of the show.
One night, many hands
Taking the stage together
Lola’s life was the center of the evening, but the playbill also tells the story of a company coming together around her. Trey Best served as choreographer and performer, bringing movement into a production built from music and personal storytelling. His two roles placed him both in the creation of the movement and onstage with the company.
The program moved from Act I, “BROADWAY or BUST!,” into Act II, “FOSSE FOSSE FOSSE!” The second act’s selections included “All That Jazz / Bad Girl,” “Viper’s Drag,” the “Reach for the Gun / Big Spender” tap combo, “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling,” and “Whatever Lola Wants.” Dance was part of the evening’s theatrical language alongside the songs.
For Sascha Anna Simone Hurley, the production brought her dance training into a personal setting: sharing the stage with her godparents, Melissa L. Youngblood and Wilkie D. Ferguson III. Featured in “Creep,” Sascha brought a background in acro-contemporary dance, connecting emotional storytelling with strength, flexibility, and acrobatics.
Justin Smith Jr. was featured in “I Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer,” identified in the program as a special dedication to Mama and Daddy. A dance student at New World School of the Arts High School and a member of Armour Dance Theatre, Justin brought training across modern, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz funk, and Fosse. Their place in the program connected a young artist’s developing practice with a personal dedication at the heart of Lola’s story.
Alisha Thomas Searcy was also part of the cast. Her playbill biography traces a lasting relationship with performance: a Theater and Sociology degree from Spelman College and more than a decade dancing with the Lady Diamonds at Lisa’s Dance Spot. Alongside the younger dance artists, her presence reflects the different paths that can lead a performer to the stage.
The company behind the story
Musical director Wilkie Ferguson III helped shape the production’s musical journey, with Aviel Del Rosario credited on bass. From COTAVATION’s side of the stage, Shakeem Cota’s work included stage management, lighting, sound, and project management, with Morgan Hurley as assistant stage manager. The playbill also recognizes Mia L. Franklin, an educator, designer, and seamstress.
The story belonged to Lola. Bringing it to the stage called on a wider company—people making music, creating movement, performing, calling cues, and supporting the work beyond the spotlight.
Cast and creative credits
Melissa “Lola” Youngblood — Creator and lead performer
Trey Best — Choreographer and performer
Alisha Thomas Searcy — Cast
Justin Smith Jr. — Dance artist; featured in “I Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer”
Sascha Anna Simone Hurley — Dancer and performer; featured in “Creep”
Wilkie Ferguson III — Musical director
Aviel Del Rosario — Bassist
Shakeem Cota — Stage management, lighting, sound, and project management
Morgan Hurley — Assistant stage manager
Mia L. Franklin — Educator, designer, and seamstress
Biographical details and program credits are drawn from the official virtual playbill, where readers can explore the company’s full biographies and musical program.
She was ready to tell her story. She gave us her all.
Explore the LOLA production page · Read the virtual playbill
Further reading
Watch the LOLA recap
LOLA performance photo gallery
View all 32 photos ↓
Cobb theater teacher brings her life story to the stage — Bo Underwood, Marietta Daily Journal, October 23, 2026.
Melissa Lola Youngblood — Marietta’s Theatre in the Square’s profile on her career, work with Campbell Middle School students, and role with the Theatre Square Art Alliance.
