The Inaugural run of the Southern Black Theatre Festival ended Sunday (9.28) with an Inspirational Breakfast in Downtown Shreveport.
I had the pleasure of attending a couple of the events over the 10-day festival, and was both surprised at the level of talent here in our fair city, and inspired by the caliber of artist that started out here, studied and traveled out there, and then brought it back.
I had the pleasure of meeting the festival coordinator and Mahogany Ensemble Theatre founder Angelique Feaster. A woman who is not only a talented actress, model and entrepeneur but a bubbly ball of inspiration to any woman who wants to live life positively and spiritually connected to their craft and to others around them.
I got to listen to one of my favorite local lyricists, Poetic Justice, as well as get an introduction to others like Craig Lee, Bilal, Mocha Blu Blaze, Elder Young, Danzeria Ferris and Southern Poet.
I heard the amazing stories and monologues from outstanding local actors & tale-tellers like Joanna Ballard, Rosiland Glover Bryant, Brother Baruti and Top Cat. I was also blessed with the powerful voice of "Mama" Neverlyn (who should really be touring the country somewhere!).
I even had the pleasure of meeting the locally-reknowned dancer and choreographer Roshanda Spears (who teaches dance at SUSLA and the Christian Dance Center) -- another awe-inspiring woman, who had such a gentle nature that is rare in a Sista you meet for the first time but heard so much about.
All these talented people, with divine gifts and humble spirits took the time to share their gifts, thoughts and time with THEIR community. People who could probably be doing something nationally, are more focused on spreading the word locally. And I thank them for it.
Angelique Feaster says the SBTF was formed to celebrate our rich tradition and bring together people committed to sustaining and developing that tradition. If that was the goal, it was met tenfold.
The celebration of a seldom praised art form (theater) was also a time to honor great artists and actors, network with creative types, and indulge in some of the best in the local performing arts community.
Along with the events I attended there were dance workshops, a youth showcase (with a celebrity guest), luncheons and dinners honoring locals turned major players in the arts (like Douglas Turner Ward), a movie presentation, mixers, stage performances and one of my favorite events -- The forum on Black theater.
Held Friday (9/26) at the East Bank Theatre in Bossier, the panel featured scholars and veteran theatre practitioners consisting like Dr. Alex Marshall (pictured below), Dr. Ava Brewster-Turner (Professor of Theatre at SU-BR), Dr. King David Godwin (Chair, Dept. of Theatre at GSU), Mr. Douglas Turner Ward (co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company), Mr. John O'Neal and Ms. Judi Ann Mason (playwright and screenwriter). The forum moderator was former CBS journalist and acclaimed author Joyce King.
The event started off as somewhat of a reunion with most of the panelists having graduated from Grambling State University (or were influenced by an Alum).
After a bit of catching up and some praise-worthy introductions, the panel began with an open discussion about Black Theatre, as each panelists attempted to describe its difference from the general (American) theatre ... each sharing their own introductions to live theater and how it has brought them to where they are today.
Here are some pictures from the forum:
Actress Irma P. Hall (known best for her role as Big Mama in Soul Food)
listens to the discussion.
After the open discussion, the floor was opened to questions from the audience. I shot my hand up.
I remember seeing the name Judi Ann Mason in credits and online articles and nothing in me ever thought she would be a Port City girl.
I remember seeing the movie Sister Act 2 (which she wrote) in the theater and in a scene on the corner between Lauryn Hill's character and Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) she gave her a book called "Letters To a Young Poet" (which I still need to read) and she said "he says if you get up in the morning and all you can think about is writing ... then you're a writer."
Ever since I heard those words, I claimed it. I'm a writer.
Ms. Mason sat on the stage and told her story of how critics slammed her first attempt at being a playwright ... and as happy as she was with herself, it hurt her ... but she realized this is the business and she was a writer and no critic could change that.
I asked the panel how, with performing arts being cut from schools nationwide (as well as after-school programs), we could encourge budding artists (like myself ... and my niece).
Mason responded that those in the position of helping young writers (like herself) needed to make a committment to taking them under their wing (like Dr. Marshall and Mr. Ward helped her with her first play back in her GSU days).
"They didn't have to help me," she said, choking up with tears, "but they did and I thank them for that. It meant a lot to have someone believe in me"
She even made her own committment that night by giving me her personal phone numbers in Los Angeles and told me "All-WRITE now. Call me if you need anything, I'll help you any way I can." That meant a lot to me ... and I will surely keep my end of the bargain ... and WRITE.
Other panelists echoed that the bests thing an aspiring artist can do is to just DO IT. Whatever it is you aspire to do ... fill that need constantly. Dance. Sing. Write ... because you NEED to, not just because you want to. They said you should also master your craft, know EVERY aspect of it (classic and contemporary). If you're an actor you should know Baldwin AND Shakespeare with the same intensity.
My second question to the panel was how they felt about the popularity of Tyler Perry and whether they thought the commercializatioin and influence of musical theater and film was hurting Black Theatre.
Panelists had somewhat surprising reactions.
One panelist said you can't get lost in the music, there has to be a message. He said he didn't like Perry's plays in the beginning because there was no substance, but after seeing The Family That Preys, he's now more impressed.
Another panelist said the Black community needs to support less popular plays and playwrights other than Perry.
Mr. Ward said that he doesn't support anything that has a formula (i.e. manufactured), he said even though he's worked with great actors like Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson ... if they make something bad -- even Oscar-winning -- he will tell them it was crap. (LOL).
The honesty on that stage ... the talent on that stage ... and their willingness to share all that with me ... was so inspirational.
Where will Black Theatre be in five or ten years? No one can really tell. The panelists gave various predictions and suggestions, including more arts education, committments from the community toward progress, less segregation in the arts communities and more collaboration, more funding, and the restoration of a permanent institution (like the NEC) that will make decisions about the future of the craft.
Hopefully it won't take me the next decade to do my part. And hopefully this festival will have inspired others like it has me to support the local arts community and do more to hone my craft. So by the next decade, maybe I'll be sitting on that stage passing my business card to a budding young writer or performer ...
What are you teaching? Sharing? When's the last time you inspired, influenced or even talked to a young person you're not even related to?
Make a COMMITTMENT to the FUTURE ...
Each one, teach one ...
- mahogani
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