EXPOSED, a new touring stage production by Joel P.E. King and JPEK CreativeWorks, debuts at the Grandel Theatre in St. Louis on Saturday, August 22. Centered on the emotional journey of a Black American man named Dae, the play merges drama, spoken word, live music, and movement to confront mental health battles, unpack generational trauma, and encourage audiences to unmask their hidden pain and seek healing.
ST. LOUIS, MO — This Saturday, August 22, the stage at the Grandel Theatre will become a place of reflection, confrontation, vulnerability, and healing as EXPOSED, a powerful new touring stage production from JPEK CreativeWorks, takes audiences on an emotional journey into the unseen battles of the human mind.
With doors opening at 2:30 p.m. and the performance beginning at 3 p.m., EXPOSED promises to be much more than a theatrical production. It is an invitation for audiences to look beyond the masks people wear every day—and to recognize the courage it takes to admit when something is wrong, ask for help, forgive, and begin the journey toward healing.
Tickets are available at jpek.org.
At the center of EXPOSED is Dae, a Black American man standing at a crossroads of identity, family, purpose, relationships, and pain. Through a vivid dream where reality and memory collide, Dae is confronted by the voices of the people who have shaped his life—including his mother, father, best friend, lover, and daughter.
As these encounters unfold, Dae is forced to confront experiences he has carried with him and truths he has spent years avoiding.
The result is a deeply human story that explores mental wellness, masculinity, generational trauma, relationships, forgiveness, emotional vulnerability, and the courage required to heal.
Written and directed by acclaimed St. Louis playwright, director, and producer Joel P.E. King, EXPOSED reflects King’s longstanding commitment to creating culturally resonant theatre that challenges audiences while giving underrepresented voices a platform.
King founded JPEK CreativeWorks Theatre in 2006, and the company is now celebrating two decades of artistic work and community impact. His body of work includes Exposed, A Mother’s Cry, Meeting at the Elder’s Circle, Stand Your Ground, A Deeper Shade of Blues, and Respect My Shoes.
King’s approach combines poetic storytelling, cultural commentary, music, movement, spoken word, and emotionally charged performances. With EXPOSED, he turns the stage into a psychological and emotional landscape where audiences are encouraged not simply to watch Dae’s journey—but to examine their own.
A Cast Built on Experience, Passion and Purpose
Leading the production is Trenton Campbell, an Atlanta-born stage and screen actor with more than 15 years of experience in theater and performance. Campbell’s background in mime and stepping has helped shape a performance style rooted in physicality, emotional depth, and commanding stage presence.
As the lead character in EXPOSED, Campbell carries the tremendous responsibility of portraying a man wrestling with the parts of himself he has struggled to understand and confront.
His theatrical credits include A Raisin in the Sun, I Forgot to Scream, and Believe, where he portrayed Jesus. He also stars as Jacoby in the upcoming independent thriller The Fall, scheduled for release on Halloween 2026.
Campbell’s ability to draw from personal experiences and bring authenticity to his characters makes his portrayal of Dae one of the production’s most anticipated elements.
Joining him is Terrance Walker, a multi-hyphenate performing and visual artist from Houston, Texas. Walker uses his talents as an author, artist, and activist to empower, uplift, and educate audiences. His involvement adds another layer of artistic purpose to a production centered on finding one’s voice and confronting difficult truths.
Zyland, an emerging alternative pop artist, author, and creative force, also brings her unique perspective to the production. A published author since the age of 11, Zyland has built her creative identity around overcoming adversity, self-belief, and empowerment.
Her music and writing reflect a journey of resilience, making her involvement in EXPOSED particularly fitting for a production that explores mental health, relationships, therapy, and healing.
St. Louis-born Belle Be brings an extraordinary artistic résumé to the stage. A celebrated actress, model, producer, event host, and visual artist, Belle’s work has appeared on Times Square billboards, U.S. postage stamps, and literary publications.
As CEO of Belle Be Proclaimed Arts and co-producer of the Sistahs Wit Disabilities Podcast, Belle has consistently used her creativity to transform imagination into impact. Her acting credits include EXPOSED, Respect My Shoes, and the upcoming film Varcity Life: A Thief’s Theme.
Then there is Shelley M. Miller, an accomplished powerhouse of the performing arts whose résumé spans theater, dance, music, television, commercials, and film.
Miller has trained with renowned organizations including The Muny Theatre Project Company, The Muny Opera, Unity Theatre Ensemble, and Lindenwood College. Her stage credits include The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Oklahoma!, Sparkle: The Musical, and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Her extraordinary vocal abilities encompass Blues, Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Classical, Opera, and Musical Theatre. She has also appeared in productions and screen projects including The Treatment, Lucifer, Twelve Hours, and Love Unimagined: A Love Supreme.
Miller’s combination of theatrical experience, musicality, and emotional power makes her another compelling presence within the EXPOSED ensemble.
Lacey “G Souldier” Turner Joins the Cast
Adding another dimension to the production is St. Louis creative Lacey “G Souldier” Turner, a multi-talented artist whose career has crossed the worlds of music, film, writing, journalism, podcasting, and activism.
A former battle rapper, Turner has developed a reputation as a storyteller and creative force with a commanding presence both onstage and behind the camera. His song Rescue You earned a nomination for Best Original Song at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards, while his socially conscious music has continued to address issues of truth, awareness, and change.
Turner is also an accomplished filmmaker who has written and directed more than 16 films, earning recognition and awards through film festivals. He is the author of ABHITA, a book addressing bullying in the school system, and a co-author of the #1 bestseller A Black Man’s Point of View: Mind, Body, and Soul from the Voices of Black Men.
His work as a journalist has included contributions to publications such as The Narrative Matters and the St. Louis Argus, while his podcasting career has given him opportunities to conduct in-depth conversations with entertainers, creatives, and public figures.
Most recently, Turner was honored with two Global Music Awards for his songs “We Are The Leaders For Clean Water” and “A Broken Trust,” further recognizing his use of music as a vehicle for social awareness and meaningful change.
As an actor in EXPOSED, Turner steps into a different side of his storytelling career—moving from behind the camera and microphone to the stage.
That transition is significant because EXPOSED speaks directly to many of the themes that have defined Turner’s creative work: identity, truth, struggle, community, and the importance of using art to spark meaningful conversations.
More Than a Play—A Conversation
What makes EXPOSED particularly timely is its willingness to address subjects that many people still struggle to discuss openly.
Mental health can be difficult to talk about. For many men, particularly within communities where vulnerability has historically been viewed as weakness, asking for help can feel almost impossible.
EXPOSED challenges that mindset.
The production asks audiences to consider what happens when pain goes unspoken, when trauma is passed from one generation to another, when relationships become places of unresolved hurt, and when people hide behind emotional masks because they are afraid of what might happen if someone sees who they really are.
But EXPOSED is not simply about pain.
It is about possibility.
It is about discovering that healing can begin with a conversation. That forgiveness can release the weight of the past. That vulnerability can be a form of strength. And that asking for help is not a sign of weakness—it can be the first step toward becoming whole.
Through powerful dialogue, music, theatrical imagery, and deeply personal storytelling, EXPOSED encourages audiences to look inward while watching Dae confront the pieces of his own story.
And perhaps that is the real power of the production.
The audience may come to watch Dae’s story, but they may leave thinking about their own.
St. Louis Gets the First Look
With a cast featuring artists from multiple disciplines and backgrounds, EXPOSED represents the kind of culturally conscious storytelling that can spark conversations long after the curtain closes.
The production is designed not only for traditional theater audiences but also for tours, festivals, educational residencies, and community engagement initiatives, making its message accessible to communities that are having difficult conversations about mental wellness, relationships, trauma, identity, and healing.
This Saturday, St. Louis audiences will have the opportunity to experience that message firsthand.
EXPOSED
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The Grandel Theatre
3610 Grandel Square
St. Louis, Missouri 63108
Doors Open: 2:30 p.m.
Showtime: 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: jpek.org
EXPOSED challenges audiences to do something that can be far more difficult than simply sitting in a theater: to look beyond the mask, confront what has been buried, and discover what it truly takes to ask for help and begin healing.
Sometimes the most powerful story is not the one we tell the world.
It is the one we have been afraid to tell ourselves.
#ExposedThePlay #JPEKCreativeWorks #STLTheatre
