Alabama A&M alum returns for some “Black Couples Therapy”

Last week I received a text from my bestie Jill Balch Coon, “My sweet former student is coming to town with his show! Wanna speak with him?” To which I replied, “Absolutely would love to speak with him!” And that sweet student’s name is Ansley Joseph (AJ), who graduated from AAMU two years ago, and we chatted over the phone from his home base in Atlanta.

I’m always excited to talk to former Huntsvillians from our arts community, who are out there chasing their dreams and making things happen. And AJ is doing just that! He’s been touring around the country as Tyrell in the off-Broadway play, Black Couples Therapy, which will be coming to Huntsville this Saturday, August 3^rd, at the VBC Playhouse.

“Black Couples Therapy is a stage adaptation of the novel by the same name. The play tells the story of four couples, strangers to each other, that meet at a group therapy session. Each couple is dealing with their own issue. The therapist is determined to help them get beneath the surface of their issues but ultimately each couple must decide whether to stay together or go their separate ways,” as explained by the producer, Tre Floyd of Tre Productions.

Before I share our conversation with you, here’s a little background on AJ:

Ansley Joseph (AJ) is a Haitian American actor born and raised in Queens, New York. He relocated to Atlanta, Georgia during high school which was a very pivotal moment because this sparked his love for acting. Ansley currently holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Alabama A&M University. He is very diverse in genre and has done stage plays that range from contemporary to Shakespearean and he recently made his TV debut in the ALLBLK show “Terror Lake Drive.”

Now for a bit of my chat with AJ last week:

Congratulations on your tour of Black Couples Therapy! Tell me about the timeline of when you auditioned up until now.

I auditioned this past November. I was cast in January, and we started rehearsing a couple of months later. And now we’ve been touring since June 1.

And how’s it going? Have you toured before?

I’ve never toured before but it’s going great! Tre Productions is based out of Atlanta and Black Couples Therapy is one of several plays they have produced around the country. One of the great things about this tour is that we’re not out on tour nonstop. There’s some time between each tour stop we make so we’re still living in Atlanta, instead of just being completely out on the road like so many other tours.

I know you’re from Queens and moved to Atlanta in high school. How did you end up at Alabama A&M University?

My brother went there, so I applied too and was accepted. At first, I was studying graphic design.  But I just didn’t have the passion for that like I did for acting. Then I met Mrs. Coon and that changed everything. I knew that I needed to get back to my dream. And here I am!

Yes that Mrs. Coon is pretty darn inspiring and knows how to get you back on track. She’s got that gift for sure! After that, you worked a lot with the Bulldog Players in productions of The Wiz, Love/Sick & Almost Maine. Not to mention performing with the Bulldog Bards in Twelfth Night! That’s quite the versatile resume from A&M. Has that influenced what your goals are now as a professional actor?

Absolutely! I want to do it all. Acting on Broadway is an ultimate dream. But I also want to direct, write and eventually have my own studio. I want to work in New York City and Los Angeles but keep my home base here in Atlanta. The arts scene in Atlanta is getting bigger and better too. There’s a lot of film and television opportunities here now.

Ok folks, keep an eye out for AJ because I think this 24-year-old has a bright future ahead of him in the arts! And you can catch him in Black Couples Therapy at the VBC Playhouse on Saturday, August 3, at 7pm.

Tickets & Information: https://www.vonbrauncenter.com/event/black-couples-therapy%3A-the-stage-play/7240/

Here's a couple of photos from Black Couples Therapy:

And here's where it all began at AAMU with Twelfth Night, The Wiz & Love/Sick :