By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Winston-Salem, NC - The landscape of American performing arts was forever changed when the “Marvtastic” Larry Leon Hamlin founded the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NC Black Rep). As the first professional Black theatre company in the state, NC Black Rep established a vital platform for creative expression and cultural preservation. Central to its mission is a steadfast commitment to exposing diverse audiences to the profound depth of Black theatre classics while simultaneously nurturing the development of groundbreaking new works.
Hamlin created a festival in 1989 in Winston-Salem, N.C., aimed at bringing together theater companies to learn from and support one another. Today, this legacy is most vibrantly realized through the company’s flagship outreach program, the International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF). Serving as the premier biennial gathering for the global theatre community, the IBTF continues to set the benchmark for sustaining and celebrating Black theatre excellence on an international scale. Playwright Baba David D. Wright held a reading of his play Sango, on Thursday evening. He shared, “I've been coming here since 1989. I'm always excited to be here. I have a play read here every year if I don't have a production up.
I'm a sound designer as well.”
Wright, Brooklyn, NY-based, has been a Yoruba priest for 35 years. An artful and insightful man with roots in North Carolina, Wright lives for drama, “I was born in Brooklyn. In the People's Republic of Brooklyn, the second largest Caribbean island in the world. And that's why I write about people.” He shared details about his play, “Sango is the orisha of Thunder Enlightenment, and justice.” The reading of Sango, was dark and winding, with pivotal lines like “let the one who opened this door close it” or even “he who asks the way does not lose his way.” Many memorable lines and moments made Sango a thoughtful and emotionally interactive reading.
NC Black Rep is dedicated to producing one world premiere play each season, which assists in staying true to the company’s goal of discovering and nurturing the next generation of great African American writers. NC Black Rep’s Teen Theatre Ensemble (TTE) training program was created to provide professional theatre training for young emerging artists between the ages of 13 – 19 who are serious about developing their craft. The company’s Living Room Theatre reading series is free to the public and targets underserved members of the community who may not otherwise have access or the means to enjoy live theatre, and whose stories are often marginalized by society.
As we walked the vendors' spaces in the convention center, different participating area theatres, and the downtown Marriott host location, many writers and celebrities mingled with the people. We were able to connect with actor Dorien Wilson, known widely for his role as Professor Stanley Oglevee on the UPN sitcom The Parkers, and countless other popular Black sitcoms, even an appearance on Friends. Wilson was excited to be a part of the festival and happy to speak with us, sharing, “I grew up in the theater, and there's no greater training ground than being on that stage and live performance. Anything can go wrong, and it does. So this is not like television and film where you can have another take. But just to be here and to be supportive of us doing our thing, and to be acknowledged for the work that we do. So many times we're overlooked, not given the accolades, and there are so many incredible talents here.”
We asked how often Wilson has attended the festival, “I think this is the sixth year that I've actually performed and been here.
But I also co-hosted, I think, in 2015. It's really important. And I love bringing her, 'cause she gets to see you all.” Dorien pointed to his beautiful wife, “We've been married for 40 years. We have a 40-year-old daughter.” Connecting with Dorien Wilson and other creators was a highlight of my first International Black Theatre Festival. See you all in two years!
