True Colors Theatre Company Scores with Lesser-known Comedy/Drama

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

Playwright Philip Hayes Dean won the New York Drama Desk award in 1971 for his mind-blowing, mesmerizing comedic drama Sty of the Blind Pig and while some theater lovers may be unfamiliar with this piece, its powerful prose and the poignant performances from a talented cast are two reasons that True Colors Theatre Company's season opener is a definite hit.
The play opens slowly, with the strong but opinionated matriarch Weedy Warren (Margo Moorer) patiently waiting for her still-single daughter Alberta (Tonia Jackson) to arrive home from her frustrating maid's job.

The two live in a crumbling apartment on Chicago's Southside. And Weedy is worried because as usual, Alberta is late. But as we soon discover, despite her faith and zeal for the church, she enjoys worrying - sometimes about her daughter, other times about her flamboyant, "whiskey head" brother Doc (Earl Billings) who consistently begs her for money to play the numbers and has a penchant for much younger girls.

The banter between Weedy and Doc goes on throughout the play, moving the audience from moments of light chuckling to outright hysteric laughter. Those less familiar with Black culture may not get some of the jokes and jabs, but with two parents from the South, this writer not only followed the dialogue but at times remembered hearing his own family engage in such diatribes of the "dozens." Alberta, however, does not fare well in this 50s household, constantly suffering from bouts of anxiety and depression - even succumbing to the bottle to help her deal with a life that is unraveling before her eyes. But when a knock on the door reveals the handsome, guitar-playing Blind Jordan (Jahi Kearse), on a mission from New Orleans in his search for a woman he says he once loved, the lives of this slightly troubled family are changed forever. And the change is anything but positive.

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New Musical Delivers with Multi-media Tribute to the Beatles

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir

Utilizing today's technology in a show that features actual footage of the musical group that led the "British Invasion" in the early 1960s, and perhaps causing baby boomers to leap to their feet with joy while singing refrains like "Yeah, yeah, yeah," and "Help, I need somebody," Atlanta's Fox Theatre ushered in a celebration of The Beatles with the foot-stomping and highly nostalgic musical Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles.

 

Joey Curatolo, Joe Bithorn, Ralph Castelli, Steve Landes Photo by Joan Marcus

The show which runs through October 11th is brought to the Fox by Theatre of the Stars (www.theatreofthestars.com) who keeps pumping out the hits with such recent critically-acclaimed productions including The Color Purple, Chicago and Grease. From their introduction to the American public one Sunday evening on the then-popular Ed Sullivan Show, which was their first live US television performance and with such early hits as "Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" behind their belt, The Beatles would go on to become one of the most commercially successful bands in the history of popular music. And here is a bit of pop music trivia for you. Consider that when The Beatles made their winter 1964 debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, an estimated seventy-four million viewers tuned in - a number representing about half the country's population at the time.

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Jerry Springer flops while Bianca Marroquin steals the show

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

Almost anyone who loves the theater is familiar with the Bob Fosse- choreographed musical Chicago set in the city of Chicago during the prohibition era. Since its opening on Broadway in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and then the smash revival in 1996 during which time the play earned the distinction of being the longest-running musical revival on Broadway, it has played for an estimated 5,000 performances and snagged a host of awards including six Tony Awards.

 

Photo by Paul Kolnik

And of course there's the 2002 film version, starring Renee Zellwegger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah that swept the Academy Awards with six Oscars - just in case you missed this cultural icon on the stage. So, the audience at Atlanta's fabulous Fox Theatre was pumped up and ready as the curtain rose - ready for that hot opening number, "All That Jazz," which in this production featured actress Terra MacLeod whose legs and sultry voice could give Tina Turner a run for her money - almost. The music, vocals and choreography, reminiscent of those vaudeville acts from the 20s, are what move this exciting show along from start to finish and the plot, a satire on corruption in the adjudication of justice and the "celebrity criminal" is the kind of story that never loses its luster. No matter what the era, from O.J. Simpson to Britney Spears, our celebrity-obsessed culture is always looking for gossip on the stars - whether it is good news or bad.

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Small Can Sometimes Mean "Outstanding"

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir
Photographs courtesy National Black Arts Festival and Gudron Stone  

When residents in the greater Atlanta area heard that the annual National Black Arts Festival (NBAF), a summer spectacular of music, lectures, African arts and crafts and films, had been scaled down from its normal 10-day stint to only five days (July 29 - August 2nd), many people wondered if the quality of the Festival would suffer.

 

And to make matters worse, word leaked out that Stephanie Hughley, founding artistic director of the NBAF in 1987 who after serving as vice president of programming for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center before returning to NBAF as its executive director in 1999, would be stepping down prior to the start of the Festival to pursue other opportunities. But with the leadership of the Festival's Board of Directors, a dedicated volunteer pool and a downsized but far from downtrodden staff, the Festival went on this year without a hitch. The Woodruff Arts Center would serve as the primary venue for the Festival's events this year, ending a tradition of having events scattered throughout the City. The rains held up, the weather was superb and many of the featured programs, like the concert that served as a tribute to the late Nina Simone, and the lecture by motivational guru Les Brown, sold out. It all goes to show that bigger does not necessarily mean better. Here are a few highlights from this year's festival including some outstanding photographs obtained through the generosity of Margaret Kargbo (public relations). It should be noted that Neil A. Barclay has been appointed as the new CEO and executive producer for the Festival, replacing the incomparable Hughley. Barclay has agreed to an interview with GBMNews later this year.

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Theatrical Outfit Opens New Season with Cotton Patch Gospel

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

During the 1990s one of those popular fads that briefly grabbed the public's attention before fading into obscurity was wearing armbands, t-shirts or even placing bumper sticker's on one's car that read "WWJD." But What Would Jesus have Done if his mission had taken place in mid-century American South with Gainesville (Georgia) taking the place of Bethlehem, Valdosta for Nazareth and Atlanta as the fateful Jerusalem?

 

That's the backdrop in Cotton Patch Gospel, one of the all-time favorites currently being performed at Theatrical Outfit, The Balzer Theater at Herren's in Atlanta that continues through August 30th. Based on the book The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John, the play was originally performed as a one-man show by Tom Key, who directs the performance and also serves as the executive artistic director for Theatrical Outfit. Over time the piece has been modified to include more storytellers and been transformed into a musical with bluegrass harmonies and tunes compliments of Harry Chapin who wrote the music and lyrics. In this year's performance a much younger narrator, Daniel Thomas May, replaces Key, assuming a variety of characters including Jesus. And as he leaps from tables, changes accents and vocal intonations, cuts a lively two-step or bursts out in song, May proves that he has taken this fascinating role and truly made it his own.

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Intimate Secrets of Men Explored in a "Real Talk" Atmosphere

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir
Photos courtesy of Audphotogirl and JL King
 

One of the most powerful things about live theater is its ability to both inspire and educate. And in the case of the Atlanta world premier of The Penis Monologues: LIVE, which recently opened at Danneman's Coffee House in the city's historic Fourth Ward, the buzz has already begun about this unique production that not only chronicles the secrets about men's relationship with their penises but attempts to empower women so that they can understand the male psyche and make more sound decisions about their relationships.

 

JL King, executive producer/screen writer and party host, Dr. Richard Goodjoin and actor Jason Steed pause during a pre-play reception for Steed.

And what better way to open conversation then through the "mouths" of characters like Good, Big, D***, Alternative, Envy and Wh***-D***? Co-written by JL King and Christopher Beckwith and produced by LFTM Productions, the play opens with a feisty, sensual woman (Vicky James) who is frustrated by her inability to find a man that can be honest about his needs and desires. After sharing some of her more recent disappointments and the anger that seeks to consume her, she turns to six men for advice. Through their lively, hilarious and sometimes earth-shattering revelations, they give her and the listening audience a real education on how men think not with one but with "two heads."

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First time is the charm for playwright Steven Lee

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

It was shortly after joining a writer's workshop out in Los Angeles when Steven Lee, 46, an English teacher by day, began to believe that he had what it takes to make writing plays and short stories more than just a hobby. And with the positive reception of his first written and produced production, Chariot, which recently ended a two-week stint at the legendary Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, he says he feels that the sky is the limit.

 

"I've had a few readings of my work before and delved into writing some comedies, but this is my first dramatic piece and I believe it's a great launching pad to share many of my thoughts with others," Lee said. "I can't tell you how excited this all makes me - seeing others on stage speaking my words for everyone to hear."

The play focuses on the Hill clan, a black family living in the San Fernando Valley, whose proud matriarch, Angela Hill, finds herself in a losing battle to keep her family intact. For Lee, many of the issues are drawn from his own struggles and the challenges that his family faced during his formative years including the need to assimilate, homophobia and America's greatest demon - racism. "When I was younger I thought that my family was the only one dealing with issues of being accepted in society because of our race, sexual orientation and where we lived," he said. "When you're always trying to fit in you sometimes forget who you really are. Before becoming an adult I often felt like I was trying to maneuver through an atmosphere that was confusing and murky - it was certainly an environment that was dominated by denial. But when I shared that microcosm and history of my family with others I found that my story was not unique. Those experiences and the conversations I had after I left the cocoon and entered a world where diversity thrived are the basis for my play."

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Atlanta theatrical co-production stars powerhouses Kenny Leon and Tom Key

By D. Kevin McNeir
Editor, Centre Stage, Theatre, Dance & the Arts
Senior Correspondent, GBMNews

In a reprise of their critically acclaimed 1998 roles as half-brothers, one black and one white, living in 1960s South Africa, actors Kenny Leon (Zachariah) and Tom Key (Morris) recently performed Athol Fugard's Blood Knot: A Play in Seven Scenes at Theatrical Outfit's Balzer Theater at Herren's.

 

The show was co-produced with Leon's True Colors Theatre Company and directed by Susan Booth. The three-week run coincides with the National Black Arts Festival which kicks off its annual run at the end of July. Blood Knot was the play that first earned South African playwright Fugard international acclaim and like most of his works, is a bit too long for most and at times tends to almost become a sermon. However, the premise is simple and it works: two brothers tied by the blood of a black mother but from racially different fathers, try living together in the midst of a destructive community where apartheid is the law of the land.

And like slavery in America, apartheid in South Africa, even when it is abolished, continues to have lingering, toxic effects, impacting both blacks and whites alike. But then, that is the power that racism wields on our world. "At the beginning of the 21st century when we are challenged more than ever to evolve past violence toward global community, Fugard's dramatic revelation of the bonds between us is a work that must be done," Leon said.

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J.L. King Makes Special Appearance in His Double Life

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir

It has been said that theater is often a reflection of reality and in the case of No Jive Productions' one-night performance of His Double Life, set for Saturday, July 18 at Miami's Joseph Caleb Auditorium, the frequent tragedies and rare triumphs portrayed by a stellar cast, are loosely based on the life of No Jive's founder and CEO, Nial Martin. And while this actor, playwright and community activist is a mere 30-years-old, he has often found himself in an all-out battle against a host of personal and emotional demons. The good news, however, is that he has survived.

 

"No Jive Productions was started because I was on my own journey through life and the play deals with some aspects of my own struggles as well as situations faced by some of my closest friends," Martin said. "This is the third annual presentation of His Double Life and it's the most successful of No Jive's repertoire of productions. I think it is so popular and continues to receive such positive feedback because it deals with so many important subjects: the down low lifestyle, the challenge of building relationships, speaking frankly about sexuality and HIV/AIDS and being honest and faithful to the ones we love. Ultimately, it's a story about forgiveness." Martin says his life has focused on entertainment, including theatre, commercials and print media, for as long as he can remember. But he was led to begin writing and producing plays as an outlet for relieving some of the pressure in his life. "Each of the shows we produce has a little part of me in all of them," he said. "I just officially came out this year after finally being able to accept who I am and to love myself. For years I had struggled with my family and some of that is incorporated into the play. But this road has not been easy for me - I've dealt with severe depression and have survived two suicide attempts. Now, when I talk to young people I share with them how important it is to learn how to love ourselves. If you cannot love who you are, you will never be able to really love someone else."

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TSU's Summer Stock Theatre Presents "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)"

NASHVILLE, TN.-Tennessee State University is gearing up for its annual Summer Stock Theatre production. Sponsored by The Department of Communication's Theater Program, this year a company of twenty plus cast members will showcase the grandeur of their talent with a run of Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield's the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).

 

The play is directed by Barry Scott. Scott is a widely known actor, writer, producer, and director, voice over artist and motivational speaker who currently serve on the Tennessee Arts Commission. "The Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (abridge)" places Shakespeare's works in modern context, and was developed through improvisation. The cast performs as if they are getting through the show on blind enthusiasm, but one thing that is not up for question is the over boundless energy they bring and leave on the stage! Of course the big joke in the original script is having 3 male actors perform all of Shakespeare's plays in a single evening of theatre. In our approach to the material we will utilize upwards of 20 actors both male and female and all of whom are of African decent. So where's the joke in that? I'm so glad you asked! Too black? Or not too black? Black is the question! The mood of the piece will retain its comic/satirical framework but will endeavor to explore the boundaries of political correctness and racial stereotypes. Showing in The Performing Arts Center Cox/ Lewis Theatre, TSU Main Campus, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" Too Black? Or Not Too Black? Black is the Question! Begins July 9th at 7pm and run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until Jul 25th 7pm. For admission simply pay what you can. 100% of donations benefit Summer Stock Theatre Program. For more information visit Friends of the Theatre.

Playwright Alfred Uhry comes home to view prize-winning tale

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir
Photography by: Cristopher P. Kettrey

Alfred Uhry, writer of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy, had to be in "seventh heaven" during his surprise visit to Atlanta's Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theatre at Herren's when after a 21-year hiatus, his semi-autobiographical piece about life in the South returned to the stage, receiving several standing ovations following the end of the performance.

Rob Cleveland (Hoke Coleburn) and Jill Jane Clements (Daisy Werthan)

Some may remember the story of Daisy Wertham, an opinionated, Jewish matron living in an affluent northside neighborhood and her chauffeur, Hoke Coleburn, an easy-going, dignified African American who is hired by Miss Daisy's son after a series of automobile accidents make it difficult for her to acquire insurance. But as they say, "the play's the thing," and seeing the onstage production of this story based on Uhry's own grandmother and his experiences of life in Atlanta really brings home just how much racial and social mores and beliefs in the Deep South have changed since the late 1940s, when the story begins. As Miss Daisy invites us into her world where wealth, religion, social status, discrimination and prejudice shape and rule her life, we see how firmly entrenched she is in the good old way of doing things in the South. However, she is unprepared for Hoke, whose many acts of kindness and goodwill forge a friendship that eventually helps her to overcome many of those barriers including America's most challenging problem - racism.

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Actors Guy and Ware Deliver a Solid One-Two Punch in Blues for an Alabama Sky

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir

Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company recently took over new digs at the Southwest Arts Center in Atlanta and is wasting no time in establishing itself as the hottest ticket in town. First, there was the powerful and moving Miss Evers' Boys, which proved that Jasmine Guy has developed into an amazing actress - gone is Whitley Gilbert from the popular sitcom A Different World - the diva is now in charge.

 

And just to emphasize the point, Guy returns in her second lead role in as many shows in New York Times bestselling author Pearl Cleage's Blues for an Alabama Sky. Directed by one of the sharpest sisters in the business, Andrea Frye, Guy takes on the role of Angel Allen, a nightclub singer whose dreams of making big in the nightclubs of New York City during the euphoric age of the Harlem Renaissance are fading fast as the fear and frustration of the Great Depression sets in.

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Earthtimes

New York - The Apollo Theatre, a gem of Harlem known for its amateur night, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with a series of events, including a lecture series, panel discussions, concerts, a gala evening on June 8 and the opening of a new production of the musical Dreamgirls in November. Amateur night at the Apollo has launched the careers of countless musicians, including Smokie Robinson, James Brown, the Isley Brothers, Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson. They earned their spurs at the legendary talent contest, which to this day takes place every Wednesday and draws tourists from all over the world. Anyone can enter and the cheapest tickets cost just 7.50 dollars.


 

In her autobiography, The Lady Sings the Blues, jazz singer Billie Holiday said the audience at the theatre was like no other in the world. It shows no mercy. Contestants who don't find favour are booed off the stage and other insults are hurled from the upper rows. However, those whose ability and charm are convincing on the stage are rewarded with warm enthusiasm. The Apollo Theatre on 125th Street, in the heart of Harlem, was considered a phenomenon from its opening in 1934. At a time when segregation was the norm in the United States, it was one of the first establishments where blacks were permitted to be both on stage and sit in the audience. Overnight it became an incubator of black talent, whether jazz, blues, comedy, dance and rhythm and blues. "The Apollo is shorthand for both American and African-American culture," said John Breglio, producer of the new production of Dreamgirls in a recent article in the New York Times. "It's the birthplace for music in this country. It resonated with us because 'Dreamgirls' is a snapshot of the 1950s, '60s and '70s American music culture."

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Photos by Greg Funnell

Tony Award-winning McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton NJ to present the world premiere of acclaimed playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney's "The Brother/Sister Plays" April 24 - June 21, 2009

Princeton, NJ— The Tony Award® -winning McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, is preparing to launch the world premiere of the groundbreaking trilogy The Brother/Sister Plays, written by one of the most celebrated young playwrights of his generation: Tarell Alvin McCraney. Set to begin performances on April 24, McCraney's trilogy is comprised of three distinct works – In the Red and Brown Water, The Brothers Size, and Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet—the landmark production, which has the theater world buzzing, will be directed by Tina Landau and Robert O’Hara. Performances run through June 21.


 

“There is no doubt that Tarell Alvin McCraney is one of the most startling new voices to emerge in the American theater. His first major work, The Brother/Sister Plays, is an exquisite and groundbreaking cycle. Though fictional stories, the plays are grounded in the gritty realities that Tarell faced growing up in the Miami projects of the 1980’s, yet they also reflect a mythic quality that harkens back to the Greeks,” said Emily Mann, Artistic Director of McCarter Theatre Center. The Brother/Sister Plays will premiere at McCarter April 24 through June 21, 2009. All three plays will be performed by a single company of nine actors in McCarter’s Berlind Theater. The three plays will be performed in repertory over the course of two evenings of theater (Evening 1: In the Red and Brown Water begins performances on April 25; and Evening 2: The Brothers Size and Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet begins performances on May 15). In addition, there will be six “Marathon Weekends” featuring all three plays in one day on May 23, June 6, June 7, June 13, June 20 and June 21.

The 28-year-old McCraney has been thrilling audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with his provocative and poetic plays. A recent graduate of The Yale School of Drama,

he won the Cole Porter Playwriting Award upon graduation and has since garnered such accolades as the 2007 Giles Whiting Award, the 2007 Kendeda Award, the inaugural Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, and London’s prestigious Evening Standard Award. He has also been named the International Writer in Residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company through 2010, a Hodder Fellowship at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University and was awarded a seven-year residency at New Dramatists Center in New York.

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Public Enemy's Chuck D Says It is an Era We Must "Never Forget"

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

It began with the quite murmurings of teachers, preachers and school-age children, who were tired of being treated like second-class citizens, simply because of the color of their skin. Many would lose their jobs, their homes, their families - even their lives in the struggle for equal rights for African Americans that would eventually be referred to as the Civil Rights Movement.


 

And while some may have forgotten the tremendous sacrifices that were made by millions of unnamed men, women and children beginning at the western coast of Africa, ending temporarily at ports like Savannah, Baltimore and Boston, the songs, anthems and even precursors of rap that are gathered in this stunning, new, three-CD set, Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement, tell the inspiring and emotional story of how America's "darker children" moved from a state of legalized slavery to real emancipation.

Who can forget songs like Aretha Franklin's "Respect," Dr. Martin Luther King's favorite "We Shall Overcome," Gil Scott-Heron's provocative "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," or Billie Holiday's haunting "Strange Fruit?" The collection brings together these and other iconic songs that reflect the pain, persistence and power that is reminiscent of the Civil Rights Movement - a era in which Blacks and Whites raised their voices and their hands together to rid this country of the remains of hundreds of years of slavery and segregation.

Chuck D, the brainchild behind and voice of Public Enemy, the East Coast hip-hop group that redefined the genre as music with a message, due in great part to the intellectual abilities of Carlton Douglas Ridenhour himself (Chuck D), wrote the introduction to the set and served as one of the project consultants. In addition, his song "The Pride," which he would later sample on Public Enemy's track of the same title and was written for Spike Lee's movie, Do The Right Thing, is also included.

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

The Fonz, Chachi, Potsie and of course Richie Cunningham, are all fixtures in Americana. And with the recent production at Atlanta's Fox Theatre, Happy Days: A New Musical, the sights and sounds of the 50s returned with bobby socks, hula-hoops, leather jackets, drive-in malt shops and the four-part harmonies that are reminiscent of the era.

 

Based on the popular 1970s television series, "Happy Days," the new musical presents to some and reintroduces to others the loveable Cunningham family and shares vignettes of their lives in Milwaukee.

Presented by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America-Atlanta, the show is high-energy from start to finish.

And as was the case in the ABC hit television series, Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli (Joey Sorge) steals the show with his ability to charm the ladies and to somehow, always save the day. Sorge is outstanding in the role and even resembles actor Henry Winkler, who made the role so famous, eventually earning a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy Category in 1977. The play is infused with delightful music and lyrics by Paul Williams but may be a tad too long for younger children with shorter attention spans. Still, with those memorable lyrics, "Good-bye gray skies, hello blue," the opening line for the theme song to the television series, we are catapulted back to a time when life was more simple and perhaps even magical.

The deliciously beautiful Felicia Finley shines as Pinky Tuscadero, the paramour to The Fonz and while she pushes her notes sometimes a bit too much for this writer's taste, she does a credible job in her performance of the song-and-dance routines that made many young female actresses stars during the late 1950s and early 60s. And then there is the Ron Howard (remember the red-headed wonder who played Richie in the TV series?) look-alike, Steven Booth, who serves as the co-star and narrator in the play and has a wonderful stage presence as well as a falsetto as fine as anyone this writer has ever heard. It's a fun evening filled with music from the past and creative choreography that is sure to take some of the audience back in time - perhaps to a time that they wish they could experience once more.

Yvonne Singh stars in 7 Stages production about Zora Neale Hurston
By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

Zora Neale Hurston was a Black novelist and short story writer who chronicled the folk ways of African Americans in the South, often employing the dialect that was common among those who were barely a generation away from those terrible days of forced labor sometimes referred to as the "peculiar institution" [slavery].

An anthropologist by training, she was one of the few female writers that would gain recognition as part of the illustrious assemblage of minds that flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. While she is now known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, for many years her four novels and more than 50 published short stories would languish in obscurity. Perhaps that is why 7 Stages Theatre, in its tradition of bringing educational plays suitable for families and students, chose to bring this play back to the citizens of Atlanta earlier this year. Zora features Dr. Yvonne Singh as Hurston and Larry Eaglin as the Musician and is directed by 7 Stages Artistic Director Del Hamilton. Singh continues to take the show on the road much to the delight of children and adults throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. "Why does Zora matter? Singh asks. "She was an amazing, complex, intelligent, artistic woman. And to be that and to be consistently excellent despite the challenges and variances of acceptance that she would face is a story that deserves to be told. Some of the people who have seen this play tell me how inspiring and special it is to hear and see her story. Sure we can now read her books but in the early 1980s when Laurence Holder wrote the script, we were just rediscovering this great woman. Alice Walker was working on a text about her, but there was no annual festival like there is today that highlights Hurston's contributions, nor were her books easily accessible.

"Whether you connect with her because you are a woman, a southerner, an artist or an African American -whatever your point of connection - she is an example of a woman who decided that she would not and could not live in the traditional role of mother/wife. In her letters she says we only have one life to live and that we should make the most of it. Certainly that is what she did." To watch the performance of Singh is to realize that Hurston has become an integral part of this actress's life. In fact as she readily admits, she continues to study Sister Zora so that she can bring new life to the stage and the show. "I began reading the script when I was in my 20s and now that I am in my 40s, I want to make sure my performance reflects the truth about her mature life," Singh said. "The challenge is how to present the piece while remaining in a discovery mode. The last time we did the show at 7 Stages was in 2007 and so to do it at a time when America has elected its first Black president and then to share Hurston's words which remind us of the inhumane treatment Blacks suffered during the days of Jim Crow, is a testimony to how far we have come.

"There is still so much more to learn about Zora Neale Hurston. Sure she is now a postage stamp icon, her Eyes was selected as one of the featured works by the National Endowment for the Arts and Oprah made the same book into a feature film, but we still have much to learn by studying her writings and her life. If it had not been for Hurston, many of the folk customs of Blacks in the South may never have come to light." Singh is celebrating the fourth anniversary of her own production company, www.theateratl.com, and says that her goal this year is to take Zora to Anglophone Africa, or at least to South Africa. "I want to take this show international and now that my own family obligations are kind of over, I have the time to do it." The 2008-2009 season for 7 Stages just closed with the world premier of The Extremists, a two-man media satire written by C.J. Hopkins and starring Del Hamilton (artistic director) and Tim Habeger. But don't worry - a hot new list of productions will usher in the 2009-2010 season for this impressive community theater. Stay tuned! Go to www.7stages.org for more information.

Star of Miss Evers' Boys talks about return to ATL, her career and future aspirations

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

What do I remember most about Jasmine Guy? Two images come to mind.

The first is that memorable garden scene on A Different World when she jilts her fiancée just moments before she is expected to say, "I Do," and accepts the last ditch marriage proposal from her former beau, Dwayne Wade (Kadeem Hardison). [Despite the fact that my daughter and former wife never missed the show, we still did not see that one coming].


 

And then there was that hilarious episode that featured Debbie Allen in the role of a psychologist who advises Whitley Gilbert (Guy) to "Relax, Relate, Release." [I still use that line from time to time when counseling friends and loved ones who are grappling with major issues]. But Whitley was just a fictional character - albeit one that most of us who live here in Atlanta have probably met in the persona of a real individual - the infamous southern belle. However, reflecting on the impact that this veteran actress had on my life because of the provocative issues she and other characters faced on the popular sitcom of the late 80s and early 90s leads me to the question: Who is the real Jasmine Guy? And what a better way to get the answer than to go directly to the source? Now all grown up and the mother of a beautiful young daughter, Guy has thrown caution to the wind and taken on the lead role in the Kenny Leon-directed Miss Evers' Boys (True Colors Theatre Company) - which opened to rave reviews earlier this month and continues at the Southwest Arts Center through March 21st.

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Where: Trinity Preparatory Theater
When: March 13, 2009 / 7:30 pm
Company Director: Russell Sultzbach
Featured Choreographers: Amy Davidson, Christine French, Leaia Caver, and Russell Sultzbach

Watching the future stars of Dance in both of the Ballet South Dance Companies was an absolute treat for me. For both, the Senior and Junior Companies to successfully perform this repertoire of modern, jazz, and ballet requires focus and versatility. Well, congratulations are in order for Ballet South. These young performers not only showed off their versatility in dance, but they did it while looking like they were having the time of their lives. That's how you know you have walked into the right show.

 

"Ballet Dancers" by Brenda Guyton

All of these ladies and gentleman should be very proud of their quality performances. There were so many "Wow" moments but in the interest of space, I would like to point out some of the ones that still have me excited. The show opened with "Dancing" and already I was swept onto the stage absorbing each emotionally charged story as expressed by Christine French and The Senior Company. The connection of music and movement were not missed in this piece. I especially enjoyed the connectivity of all of the dancers working as one community in the dramatic and joyful section, "The Time of My Life." Giving props to her Pops and the Ohio State Buckeyes, Amy Davidson sets her choreography on the Junior Company. Suited up in beige capri pants and red collegiate sweaters, these young ladies march, cheer, and play football through dance movement and looked cute doing it.
Meredith Barton Garrett Marks Catherine Silver
Smack Dab in the middle of the show, "Illuminate," brings the Senior Company back to the stage in classical form. Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 35," choreographed by Russell Sultzbach was the soundtrack for this difficult and expressive work, which was superbly executed by the entire company. There were moments when Meredith Barton had my heart balanced on the tip of her point shoe when she extended with such control and musicality. The chemistry between Garrett Marks and Catherine Silver (two of the most present personalities on the stage) was just lovely to watch.
When I thought I had been amazed to the gills, Leaia Caver completely transforms the Senior Company in, "So InCline - A Patsy Cline Ballet." Now people you have not seen a stompin' good time until you have seen the Senior Company bounce to the music as one complete unit while pushing you through the old creaking door of a Honky Tonk. I don't think my foot stopped tapping until I got to my car.	Russel Sultzbach Artistic Director
Once again, the Marks and Silver chemistry made me smile so big that I might need Botox to give my cheek muscles a break for a while. Meredith Barton rocked my world so hard with every tasteful hip switch and sway, never losing any of her beautiful technique and musicality in "Crazy". Girl, go ahead and write your check, the money's in the bank. Central Florida still has quality performers and entertainment and one of the places they frequent are Ballet South. If you have not yet caught a show with Ballet South, then I think you might want to start your psycho therapy first just to make sure you've gotten the crazies out of your system. Don't worry they will return next Season. Be ready … I know I will. Keep up with the company at: Ballet South

Jasmine Guy shines in lead role for ATLs' True Colors Theatre Company

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

Good-bye Whitley Gilbert - the sassy Southern Belle that the actress artfully portrayed in the popular Bill Cosby-inspired A Different World - and hello to the seasoned thespian and star of one of Atlanta's hottest new plays - Ms. Evers' Boys. And make no mistake, Gilbert not only tackles this challenging role in an almost seamless performance, but her star shines brightly.


 

She is indeed, the glue that holds together a wonderful cast that includes another Black sitcom star, T.C. Carson (Kyle Barker, Living Single),Eugene Lee, Atlanta-native Enoch King, Eric J. Little and E. Roger Mitchell, whose recent starring roles in back-to-back performances of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf at the Alliance Theatre still have folks buzzing. [Note: when Mitchell makes fun of his former preacher and gives you that southern "hoop" it will leave you in stitches; and then when he confronts Nurse Evers later in the play, you are left in tears]. Under the direction of True Colors' artistic director, Kenny Leon and with a story that will at times evoke laugher, tears and even anger, this is a show that everyone should see - regardless of race, gender, age or political affiliation. The show runs through March 21 at the newest venue in Atlanta for live theater, the Southwest Arts Center (915 New Hope Road). "This is the grand opening of the Center as well as the premier of Miss Evers' Boys, and it's fitting that we have finally been able to bring live theatre to this part of the city with the completion of this wonderful facility," said William "Bill" Edwards, vice chairman, Fulton County Board of Commissioners. "The County has been in good financial position during my seven years in office and due to the generosity of my colleagues, we were able to bring this dream into fruition." A 6,000-seat amphitheatre is scheduled to open by mid-summer that will facilitate live concerts and other open-air events. Leon said that while he has directed the show before, he was anxious to recreate it with this new cast, particularly given the current change in this country's leadership.

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