Welcome to Our City
This week. Aug. 4-9. will he one of the
most glorious weeks in Winston-Salem. It
will he the week that we will experience
hlae4fc-4heatre in all of its splendor and
glory. Nowhere else can you get such a
variety of plays and performances within*
such a relatively short period of time in as
small a place as Winston-Salem. You will
find yourself literally exhausted from all
of the activities going on at the shows, in
the hotels and on the streets. For some, the
parties and get-togethers will last all night.
To a large extent, this welcome also
goes out to some of our own residents.
Why? Because if you haven't heen down
town lately, you're in for a treat. There are
many more restaurants and nightclubs
downtown than ever. We are proud of the
work that the Downtown Association, the
Chamber of Commerce and the city have
done in bringing downtown to a new and
wonderful level for all to enjoy.
We arc extremely proud of the North
Carolina Black Repertory Company and its
artistic director, Mr. Larry Leon "Marvtas
tic" Hamlin. His vision for the festival has
matured so beautifully. His dedication and
commitment to the festival are evident in
every activity in the festival. You will see
this vision come to life at the shows, in the
lobbies ind on the streets. You will mingle
J
with the stars and to your delight will be
able to rub shoulders with people from
around the world. It will probably be one
of your most exciting times ever.
We take pride here at The Chronicle in
putting together this publication for your
enjoyment. Having served this community
for nearly 30 years (next September, 2004)
we have seen much growth and the fulfill
ment of many dreams. Just as Larry's
dream of the festival has become reality, so
too have the dreams of many of our
African-American entrepreneurs. We want
you to take pride in what you find here. We
want you to share our excitement as we
attempt to make this a great experience.
We believe in excellence and we believe
the festival will satisfy your appetite for
the best.
The Theatre Guide is intended to serve
as a comprehensive guide for everything
related to the festival. We have included
features on some of our locally-owned
businesses so that you can get a feel for
our city. We enjoy a rich history here of
African-American-owned businesses, and
are very proud of the legacy we have. We
are quite proud of our predecessors who
laid the groundwork that has enabled us to
prosper and succeed. We hope that all of
you enjoy your time here and by all means
give us some feedback on your experience
at the festival.
Please stop by our office on Liberty
Street and check us out. We have one of
the many murals done by our young peo
ple on the side of our building detailing the
history of the black press. It is impressive.
You may go to our new Web site -
www.wschronicle.com - and respond.
Thank you and have a "Marvtastic" time.
File Photo
Larry Leon
Hamlin, left,
joins Allen
Joines last
year to
announce that
Joines would
lead the fund
raising effort
for the 2003
National Black
Theatre Festi
val.
Greetings from the mayor
and NBTF fund-rasing chair
Imagine some of America's most
renowned stage performers. Imagine tens of
thousands of enthusiastic visitors^Imagine1*
millions of radio listeners. Imagine an extraor
dinary opportunity to exhibit the best and the
brightest in Winston-Salem. This year's
National Black Theatre Festival is all these
things and more.
Thanks to the seed planted by Larry Leon
Hamlin in 1989, for s.U days and nights Win
ston-Salem will be th^apex of theatrical activ
ity and the site of a magnificent celebration.
But even more important, the Black Theatre
Festival is an opportunity to show the world
why Winston-Salem is a place they'll want to
visit again and again.
I am extremely proud to be this year's
o
chairman of the Fund-raising Committee for
the festival. For nie. it's been an opportunity to
.^witness our community's overwhelming sup
port for this event. Accordingly, I want to
express^my most sincere gratitude to the many
generous contributors, sponsors and devoted
volunteers.
I believe in our city and I am extremely
optimistic about the future of Winston-Salem.
One of those reasons is the Black Theatre
Festival. Therefore. I am asking everyone to
come out and support the festival, welcome
our guests and join the celebration. See you
there!
J. Allen Jones
Mayor q
Publisher:
Ernest Pitt
Managing Editor:
7. Kevin Walker
Office Manager/Sales:
Ericka Asbury
Sales:
Keisha Bowden
Writers:
Courtney Gaillard
Anthony Hill
Mia Parker
T. Kevin Walker
Copy Editor:
Paul Collins