2008 Woodie Awards
Mamaw saves the show
Little Eddie
Contributor
Issue date: 2/2/05 Section: Entertainment
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The National Black Theatre Festival is held on alternating years (odd years) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival is intended for professional involvement and performance.
Early in 2001, two members of the festival board attended a play performed in Dallas by the Charles Gilpin Players (Gilpins) entitled, "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black." They were impressed with the performance. So, at the next festival board meeting, they convinced the other board members to join them in inviting the Gilpins to perform at the 2001 National Black Theatre Festival.
The Charles Gilpin Players are a theatre troupe from Prairie View A&M University. The drama program at Prairie View has historically been under-funded and under-staffed; so when the invitation to perform in North Carolina came in the summer of 2001, financial and logistical difficulties appeared to make the trip and performance impossible.
In desperation, theatre director and drama program chair C. Lee Turner called an emergency meeting of C.A.S.T. (Citizens Assisting Students in Theatre). C.A.S.T. members are local residents who are in support of and of service to the Gilpins.
At the C.A.S.T. meeting a variety of partial solutions were chosen: some held a bake sale, others sought donations from alumni and supporters, and the author determined to find financing through university channels. Three C.A.S.T. members agreed to go along as chaperones and in support: Thoymee Phillips, Ila Schauer, and Dr. Ed Schauer.
Another problem, closely allied with finances, was the difficulty Turner faced in pulling the play cast together for preparation for the August performance. Turner was faced with calling students to campus away from their jobs and other activities, providing housing and meals while they were preparing for the performance, and with the developing of alternate actors and actresses.
Costuming provided a third major challenge, which revealed all of its ugliness upon arrival in Winston-Salem. Alternate performers required different sizes than those available. Upon verbal agreement, a third party agreed to create and tailor the simple costumes to our specifications. The new costumes were delivered as the bus was being loaded for the trip to North Carolina.
Early in 2001, two members of the festival board attended a play performed in Dallas by the Charles Gilpin Players (Gilpins) entitled, "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black." They were impressed with the performance. So, at the next festival board meeting, they convinced the other board members to join them in inviting the Gilpins to perform at the 2001 National Black Theatre Festival.
The Charles Gilpin Players are a theatre troupe from Prairie View A&M University. The drama program at Prairie View has historically been under-funded and under-staffed; so when the invitation to perform in North Carolina came in the summer of 2001, financial and logistical difficulties appeared to make the trip and performance impossible.
In desperation, theatre director and drama program chair C. Lee Turner called an emergency meeting of C.A.S.T. (Citizens Assisting Students in Theatre). C.A.S.T. members are local residents who are in support of and of service to the Gilpins.
At the C.A.S.T. meeting a variety of partial solutions were chosen: some held a bake sale, others sought donations from alumni and supporters, and the author determined to find financing through university channels. Three C.A.S.T. members agreed to go along as chaperones and in support: Thoymee Phillips, Ila Schauer, and Dr. Ed Schauer.
Another problem, closely allied with finances, was the difficulty Turner faced in pulling the play cast together for preparation for the August performance. Turner was faced with calling students to campus away from their jobs and other activities, providing housing and meals while they were preparing for the performance, and with the developing of alternate actors and actresses.
Costuming provided a third major challenge, which revealed all of its ugliness upon arrival in Winston-Salem. Alternate performers required different sizes than those available. Upon verbal agreement, a third party agreed to create and tailor the simple costumes to our specifications. The new costumes were delivered as the bus was being loaded for the trip to North Carolina.