Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Tickets on sale for NCSF's
"A Christmas Carol"
Tickets are now on sale for The North Carolina
Shakespeare Festival's (NCSF) annual production of
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," which will be
staged Nov. 30 - Dec. 21 at the High Point Theatre,
at 220 E. Commerce Ave., in downtown High Point.
Special ticket pricing includes WMAG 99.5
Previews for $9.95 per ticket; $14 per ticket High
Point Enterprise Community Nights; and an Early
Bird Special of four regular price single tickets for the
price of three for telephone or walk-up orders placed
by through December 5. Regular single tickets range
from $14 to $31. ?
Tickets are on sale at The High Point Theatre Box
Office. Call 336-887-3001 for more information or go
to www.highpointtheatre.com.
Hounsou will provide voice
for black comic super-hero
Oscar-Nominated Actor Djimon Hounsou has
signed on as the voice of "The Black Panther," a new
BET Networks and Marvel Animation animated series
that will premiere in 2009.
The series will be adapted directly from the first
six issues of the Marvel Comic
Hounsou
written by Reginald Hudlin. the
former president of
Entertainment for BET
Networks and the series' pro
ducer.
"It's a blessing for African
Americans and minorities to
have a Super Hero they can
identify with," said Hounsou.
"While the Black Panther is a
powerful force for good, he is
also a respected world leader
who takes pride in his African
heritage. He embodies the past and future of his cul
ture, demonstrating the endless possibilities of an
Africa that is truly free."
Hounsou is a two-time Academy Award-nominat
ed actor for his work in "In America" and "Blood
Diamond." Hounsou was also honored with the
NAACP Image Award, National Board of Review
Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for
his role as Soloman Vandy in "Blood Diamond." For
his role as Mateo in "In America," he won an
Independent Spirit Award, was named the 2004
ShoWest Supporting Actor of the Year, and shared in
the Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for
Outstanding Cast Performance.
Hounsou will next be seen in "Push," a futuristic
"Blade-Runner"-esque thriller that co-stars Dakota
Fanning and Chris Evans. Hounsou 's breakthrough
role came in 1997 as Cinique, the African who leads
an uprising to regain his freedom, in Steven
Spielberg's historical drama "Amistad." The perform
ance earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination
and an Image Award.
Young professionals invited
to a night in the Big Apple
"Night in New York," sponsored by Reynoida
After Hours, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 8
-11 p.m.
Young professionals are invited to this exhibition
cocktail party featuring guided tours of the current
exhibition, "Seeing the City: Sloan's New York."
The evening will feature live music provided by
Andy Mabe's one-man band and the Demon Divas of
Wake Forest University, an a cappella group. Guests
are invited to join a group art activity and help create
a city skyline reminiscent of the images John Sloan
painted of early 20th century New York City.
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served with a
cash bar.
Reynoida After Hours sponsors activities geared
toward people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. The group
promotes interest in Reynoida House by providing
social and networking opportunities through fun cul
tural and educational events.
For information, please call 336.758.5150 or visit
reynoldahouse org/rah .
Spelman's Green to
present dance piece at Wake
The Wake Forest University Fall Faculty/Guest
Artist Dance Concert will be held Nov. 20-22 at 7:30
p.m. and Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in the MainStage Theater
of the university's Scales Fine Arts Center.
The concert will feature work by guest artists
Heather Maloy, artistic director of Terpsicorps Dance
Theatre in Asheville, and Kenneth Green, renowned
dancer/choreographer and dance faculty member at
Spelman College.
Presented by the Wake Forest Dance Company
and the university's theatre and dance department, the
concert will also feature choreography by four Wake
Forest dance faculty members: Nina Lucas, Brantley
Shapiro, Christina Tsoules Soriano and Tina
Yarborough Liggins.
Green will present a new piece that combines bal
let, modern dance, jazz and African movement and
tells a story of each dancer and their iPods.
A graduate of the United States International
University, Green has appeared with Donny and
Marie Osmond, Bob Hope, Donna Summer and Carol
Lawrence.
Admission to the concert is $10 for adults and $5
for students, senior citizens and children. Advance
tickets are available through the Wake Forest Theatre
Box Office at 336-758-5295. Tickets will also be
available at the door.
Delta to open stellar greeting card exhibit
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The art collection that John
and Vivian Hewitt began amass
ing more than half a century ago
has become one of the finest in
the world specializing in black
ait.
Local art lovers will get a
glimpse at some of that collection
beginning Nov. 16 at the Delta
Arts Center. The exhibit, "To
Vivian and John, With Love: A
Collection of Greetings from
African American Artists," will
run through Jan. 10, 2009 at the
gallery, which is located at 2611
New Walkertown Rd.
Sunday's 3 p.m. opening
event will feature reflections by
Vivian Hewitt. She will talk about
the many African-American
artists that she and her late hus
band encountered, befriended
and championed throughout their
decades of traveling and collect
ing. The couple began their col
lection in earnest with Haitian
Dffll to CTO ;
Staff Photo
A poster outside of Delta Arts Center promotes the gallery's
upcoming show.
Art. They soon began collecting
the art of their artists neighbors
and friends in New York City,
building a landmark collection of
African- American art.
Vivian Hewitt recently donat
ed 57 pieces to the Delta Arts
Center. The collection consists of
greeting cards by and from artists
such as Dr. J.EugeneGrigsbyJr.,
Elizabeth Catlett, Francisco
Mora, Tom Feelings, Hale
Woodruff, Ernest Crichlow,
Lucner Lazard, Virginia Smit,
Earl Hill, Edna Ford and Ann
Tanksley.
The greeting card set is the
second gift from the Hewitts to
Delta Arts. In 1998, the couple
donated five Haitian paintings to
the center. That same year, the
Bank of America Foundation pur
chased from the Hewitts what is
considered one of the largest and
most diverse private collections
of African-American art of the
past century.
Since 1999, the foundation
has underwritten a touring exhibi
tion of the works throughout the
United States. The collection of
greeting cards given to the Delta
Arts Center includes many of the
artists represented in the Bank of
America Art Collection.
The Sunday, Nov. 16 opening
at 3 pm. is free and open to the
public. For more information,
call the Delta Arts Center at 336
722-2625 or go to
www deltafine arts x>rg .
Photo by D. Rich
Duke Fakir (far
right), the last origi
nal member of the
Four Tops, his wife,
Clineice Stubbs, the
Rev. Jessie Jackson,
and members of the
late Levi Stubbs Jr.'s
family hold doves
during the recent
funeral service for
Stubbs, who was the
lead singer of the leg
endary Tops , whose
hits earned them
induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.
Saluting a Top
Famed
storyteller
is coming
to Old Salem
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Donald Davis, considered among
the most popular figures on today's
storytelling circuit, is coming to Old
Salem Museums & Gardens to offer
two free public performances
November 21 and 22 at St. Phillips
Church.
Davis, born in Southern
Appalachia,
grew up hear
ing gentle
fairy tales,
simple and
silly Jack
tales, scary
mountain lore,
ancient Welsh
and Scottish
folktales, and
most impor
tantly, nour
ishing true-to
Davis
life stories of his own neighbors and
kin.
"I discovered that in a story I could
safely dream any dream, hope any
hope, go anywhere I pleased, fight any
foe, win or lose, live or die," said
Davis. "My stories created a safe
experimental learning place."
Davis, a retired Methodist minister,
tours the United States making about
300 storytelling presentations a year.
He can be found in schools, at
libraries, in front of conventions, and
mostly as a headliner at storytelling
festivals. Davis has been seen on ABC
News "Nightline," and heard on
National Public Radio and CNN.
"When Donald Davis tells a story,
he brings it vividly to life," said Scott
Livengood, the CEO of Dewey's
Bakery, which is sponsoring Davis'
performance and storytelling work
shops.
Davis will perform at Old Salem on
Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. with
a story titled "1 Wouldn't Tell This to
Just Anybody." r'On Saturday,
November 22 the session begins at 1 1
a.m. with a story called "Just Visiting."
St. Phillips Church is located at 91 1
South Church St. in Old Salem. There
is limited seating, and. while there is
no admission fee, reservations are
required for both performances. For
more information or reservations, call
the Visitors Center at 336-721-7350.
The Rise and Fall of a Rock Star?
Production details highs and lows of fame
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A tale of sex, drugs and rock n' roll is coming to the stage at University of North Carolina
School of the Arts.
Thomas Babe's "Kid Champion" tells the story of a naive Kansas kid who is on his way to
becoming a music legend. But the path to stardom is lined with pitfalls. He is instantly surrounded
t^IcTaTK
The players of "Kid Champion."
by women, drugs and money. As the pressures
around him intensify, tragedy becomes
inevitable and Kid must face the consequences
of the glamorous stardom he once embraced.
The UNCSA production is directed by
school alumnus Jeremy Skidmore and stars sen
iors from the School of Drama (Studio IV).
Skidmore has directed or produced work in New
York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, London,
and Tai Pei.
After graduating from UNCSA in 2000, he
became the first American to assistant direct at
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London and at
the Subaru Theater Company in Tokyo. In 2001 ,
Skidmore became the artistic director of the
Theater Alliance in Washington, D.C., where he
directed the Washington premieres of "Tales from Ovid" and "Slaughter City."
The production debuted Nov. 11. The remaining shows will be Nov. 13 - 15 at 8 p.m. at
Catawba Theatre, Performance Place on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St. On Nov. 15 and
Nov. 16, shows will be 2 p.m. Tickets are $ 1 2 for adults and $ 10 for students and seniors. The show
contains adult themes. For more information or to order tickets, call the UNCSA Box Office at 336
721-1945 or visit www.uncsa.edu/performances. UNCSA alumnus will direct members of the sen
ior School of Drama class in this production.
Bennett's Coleman named to
new black heritage commission
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Governor Mike Easley has
appointed Bennett College's
Andrena Coleman to a three -
year term on the newly-created
African-American Heritage
Commission.
Coleman is the school's
chief administrative officer
and vice president for
Administrative Services. The
first such body of its kind in
the state, the commission was
formed earlier this year by the
General Assembly and will
advise the Secretary of
Cultural Resources in the
preservation, interpretation
and promotion of African
American history, arts and cul
ture.
Coleman's appointment is
effective immediately. She
was sworn- in on Nov. 3 on the
Bennett campus by State Rep.
Alma Adams.
She was nominated by Joe
Hackney, speaker of the North
Carolina House. She comes to
the commission with lots of
experience in the area of his
toric preservation. She provid
Bennett Photo
Andrena Coleman (third from left) is congratulated on her
appointment by (from left) State Sen. Senator Katie Dorsett,
State Rep. Alma Adams and Coleman's daughter, Jocelyn
Coleman Brown.
ed leadership and management
in the renovation and restora
tion of several buildings on the
Bennett campus, including the
Carnegie Negro Library, the
Thomas Holgate Library, the
John Race Administration
Building and Annie Memer
Pfeiffer Chapel.
A member of St . Matthews
United Methodist Church, the
Greensboro Chapter of
Drifters, Inc.. and the East
Greensboro Rotary Club,
Coleman is a self-taught quit
ter and fabric artist and enjoys
furniture restoration and
reupholstering.