Chronicle Profile
Acting is his
By ALBERT NICKERSON i
Chronicle Staff Writer
It's a long road from the halls of the Little i
Theater to the bright lights of Broadway.
But actor Wilson Thomas hopes one day to travel
to the Big Apple, where the streets are paved with i
gold, and see his name in bright lights on a marquee
along Broadway's theater row. \
"I'm refining my craft now," said Thomas, fresh <
from a performance of "Anything Goes." whirh ?
ended Sunday at the Little Theater. "Hopefully, 1
will dedicate all my time to acting one day." '
Thomas, a native of Fort Knox, Ky., said acting
has always been his first love. After he performed in
a high school production of "The Wild Flower of
Chastit-y," he said he was bittenjjav the acting bug. y
"I really feel blessed to be able foact," he said. "1
view it as a ch^pce to give all that I can.
"Acting is making people more sensitive and "
aware of life."
Although performing is foremost in his mind,
Thomas majored in engineering technology at
Savannah State College in Georgia. He graduated ,
cum laude with a 3.4 grade point average.
Thomas, however, still managed to find time for
acting while in school. He was a memberr f the college's
drama club (called "Players By The Sea"), i
which performed plays by such black authors as
Langston Hughes and Douglas Turner Ward.
"I couldn't give up acting in college because it
^
Military News
?uium
completes
training ?
Marine Pfc. William Price
Talum III recently completed 11
weeks of recruit training at Parris
Island, S.C.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
William P. Tatum of Hardwick ^
4 ? Court. He is a former student at
Campbell University and has
done post-graduate work at
Franklin University and Ohio ^
State University.
He reported for further duty at
Camp Pendelton, Calif.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd
Class Ronald L. Carter, son of
Arthur E. and Lillian V. Carter I
of Griffith Road, has been pro
moted to his present rank while
serving aboard the U.S. Coast
Guard cutter Tampa,
homeported in Portsmouth, Va. Marine
Pfc. Barry L. Boykin,
son of Lucy M. and Bobby L.
Boykin Sr. of Patterson Avenue,
~ and?Marine?Pvt. Melvin EL
Nivens, son of Louise Nivens of
Sedgefield Drive, have completed
recruit training at the Marine
Corps Recruit Depot at Parris
Island, S.C.
During the 11-week training
cycle, they learned the basics of
battlefield survival and were introduced
to the typical daily
routine they will experience during
their enlistment. They also
studied the personal and profes
sional standards traditionally exhibited
by Marines. ~fl
pmrtwiapl?i4i^?^cUve M
physical conditioning program
and gained proficiency in a variety
of military skills, including
first aid, rifle marksmanship and
close-order drill. Teamwork and
self-discipline were emphasized
throughout the training cycle.
Marine Pvt. Melvin D. Nivens,
son of Louise Nivens of
Sedgefield Drive, has completed
recruit training at the Marine
Corps Recruit Depot at Parris
Island, S.C.
Navy Seaman Apprentice Don
C. Belford II, son of Don C. and
Patrica A. Bet f o rd o f
Brownsboro Road, has reported
for duty aboard the destroyer / **
tender U.S.S. Puget Sound,
operating from Gaeta, Italy.
Navy Midshipman Darren A. *1
Sawyer, son of Barbara and Ben- r\
jiman Brown Sr. of Selkirk ^
Drive, is undergoing summer
training at sea. l~.
He is a member of the Naval ^
Reserve Officer Training Corps
unit at the Virginia Military Institute
in Lexington, Va. This
summer, he has been assigned to
the submariner rescue ship
Please see paQe A9
- - * .-.V ?
passion
.vas my passion," said Thomas, who graduated in
June 1981.
After finishing college, he found a job with AT'T
n its Winston-Salem office. He moved to the city in
January 1982.
"I have enjoyed living here," he said. "This is
eally a really a good city for the arts."
Normally, Thomas rehearses after finishing
vork. "I must really enjoy acting if I still have
mough energy to act after working all day," he
>aid.
He plaved the Dart nf a chin ctA^or/4
, ? - ? JIV " U1 u 111
4Anything Goes,*' a Cole Porter musical. "I guess
'7 really feel blessed to be able to act. I
view it as a chance to give all that I can."
-- Wilson Thomas .
you could say I was a piece of fluff," said Thomas,
adding that he sang several songs in the musical.
Aside from acting, Thomas enjoys dancing and
choreography. "Dancing is another one of my passions,"
he said. "I feel that I'm good at interpreting
songs." .
4 The way 1 move or the rhythm that 1 have gives
me the ability to interpret songs in an interesting
way."
Another love is pottery. "It is another artistic
gift," he said. "I enjoy making pottery," said
9
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Wilson Thomas pauses backstage to recreate hi
tion of "Anything Goes." (photo by James Pari
Thomas.
As a dedicated bachelor, Thomas, 26, said he has
no immediate plans to get married. 441 may start
looking at 35, but not right now,4' he said.
In the meantime, he is perfecting his skills and
awaiting the opportunity to perform in the big play.
44By the time I'm 30, 1 would like to be a working
actor," he said.
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hronicle, Thursday, September 27, 1984-Page A7
r H
^1
is role as the ship steward in the recent producer).
Thomas said he doesn't have another play
scheduled, but that he hopes to work for Larry
Hamlin and the N.C. Black Repertory Company
? .- -- J .J u?
sometime in me near luture.
He is appalled by the lack of blacks in movies and I
on television. "The Soldier's Play" is the only
quality movie about blacks being produced, he said.
Please see page A10
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