South East Guilford High and Howard University Grad Going From Stage To Screen

Greensboro, NC (June 2010) – South East Guilford High School alumni, Ashford J. Thomas, has joined the cast of "Douglass U', a comedy film about a young man's unexpected freshman experience at one of the country's (fictitious) premiere Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Thomas graduated from South East Guilford in 2002, and later received a BFA in Theater from Howard University, in 2006. He is an emerging actor, director and playwright, who has apprenticed at the Tony Award Winning Children's Theater of Minneapolis. In addition to being the playwright and star of the recently mounted "Who is Curtis Lee" in Los Angeles, Thomas has also performed in plays throughout Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Washington, DC, including Penumbra, Mixed Blood, and Park Square. His writing credits include "Who is Curtis Lee" (a play set in the south in the 50's about how one young man's ambitions forever changes the lives of everyone around him); and "Howton U" (a comedic web series based on his experiences in college).

"Douglass U", which will begin principal photography on July 31st in Los Angeles, was written by the film's star, actor / producer / writer, Hari Williams ("Studio", "My Letter to Hip Hop"). In this urban comedy, we see a portion of the freshman year journey of an African American kid ("Aaron" played by Williams) as he transitions from an all white high school to a HBCU. Through it all, he finds that he has the support of his three boys, "Rafael" (played by Johnny Soto - "Ocean's 13", "Zoey 101"), "Kwazi" (played by Catfish Jean - "Out of Time", "Bad Boys 2"), and Thomas' character, "Darryl".

When asked about his latest project, Thomas responded, "I'm excited to be on screen playing a comedic character which is a refreshing transition from the usual serious dramatic roles that I play on stage. It will be a great opportunity to change it up a little before my play, "Who is Curtis Lee?", has it's New York run in the fall."

"Douglass U" is being produced by I Will Make You A Star Productions, LLC and Thought Collective Productions. Williams, Charles Belk and Wiley B. Oscar will serve as the film's producers.

Thomas is the son of Greensboro residents, Curtis and Wanda Thomas.

Visit http://www.douglassu.com for more information.

About Company:

I Will Make You A Star Productions, LLC specializes in video, film and web production services for projects on a tight budget. Pre-production services include script development, product placement and product integration, script evaluation and script writing, location scouting, casting, permits, licensing and clearances. Production services includes crew, lighting, sound and video equipment. Post-Production services include editing, sound design, sound mixing and custom musical composition, animation, motion graphics, and special effects.

ExtraOrdinary Branding
PO Box 93191
Los Angeles, CA
Attn: Margarett Merriweather
(mmerriweather @ charlesbelk.com)

@2010 Charles Belk Entertainment

This release was published on openPR.