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A/c8^&S NBTF FANS MEET THE REAL Vanessa Williams This marks the very first National Black Theatre Festival for Vanessa Williams - the original one. She said that she has heard good things about the fes tival for years from friends and colleagues on the West Coast. Williams came this year to see for herself. Monday Vanessa Williams afternoon. even before the NBTF offi cially got underway, Williams said she was already exited. "I have been goose-bumply since I got on the plane," she said. She was even more thrilled once she got to town and start ed to bump into old friends like Set Designer Felix Cochran, who she worked with at the Billie Holiday Theatre in New York when she was a 19-year-old newbie to the indus try. "That is when 1 knew that I couid do this (act) for a living, she said. Williams - famous for her work on the landmark cable television drama "Soul Food" and films like "New Jack City," is often mistaken for the other Vanessa Williams, the former Miss America who has established herself as a noted singer and actress. The latter, though, is known as Vanessa L. Williams since the "Soul Food" actress was already well-established and listed with the Screen Actors Guild and Actor's Equity under the name Vanessa Williams. Williams hopes to return to the NBTF in the future to perform. The actress has a one-woman performance piece, "Feet on the Ceiling," that she has developed over the years. She said she has also been thinking about devel oping a stage piece about the legendary Shirley Chisholm, the late congresswoman who was the first serious black candidate for U.S. president. Photo by Kevin Walker Julie Dash signs an autograph for a fan. Dash: Don't wait for INVITATION TO DIRECT Black writers, producers, directors and performers have long-known that the stage is the place to go to tell their own stories - and not some Hollywood studio executive's version of what he thinks the black story should be. Julie Dash says black film directors would be well served if they adopted that do-it-yourself credo as well. Dash knows what she's talking about. She's in the history books as the first black female director of a widely-distributed major motion picture - 1991's "Daughters of the Dust." Since that milestone, a few other black women have stood behind the camera - ladies like Kasi Lemmons (Eve's Bayou) and Gina Prince- By thewood (Love and Basketball). But Dash is not yet satisfied - far from it. "There are not nearly enough (black women direc tors)," she said. "We need much more." Dash says change will come only when the powers that be break that status quo and start considering black female directors for projects that are handed to white men almost as a matter of habit. But Dash doesn't believe in just sitting around and waiting to get noticed by some higher-up. She. is a child of the independent film movement. Make your own films and tell your own stories, she tells up-and coming filmmakers. "And then let them (Hollywood executives) come find you," said Dash, whose long list of directing cred its also includes "The Rosa Parks Story" and MTV's "Love Song." Dash is working on a number of projects currently. She laughs when people ask her why she has not done any films since the acclaimed "Daughters of the Dust." In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. "1 have been working steadily since then," she said. Playwright Micki Grant, A n n i e II a in I i n Johnson and Producer! educator l)r. Glory " Van Scott . Tony winner adds an NBTF honor to her growing trophy case 4 Color Purple ' actress attends very first NBTF in I \1 I \ l \KMKK THE CHRONICLE . Among this year's new comers to the National Black Theatre Festival is LaChanze - the actress best-known for playing Celie in the Broadway production of Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple" LaChanze (pro nounced La-Shawns) helped perfect the beloved character from the famed novel by Alice Walker for the stage, so much so that she won a Tony in 2006 for Best Actress in a Musical. "J! wis a wonderful expe ' rience to be working with that material," she said. The native of St. -Augustine, Fla., is a veteran of the stage, with more than two decades of experience under her belt. She's done an international tour of "Dreamgirls;" and won wide acclaim for her role in "Once on this Island," for whichshe received a Tony, nomination, a Drama ? Desk .nomination and a Theatre World Award. . This summer she starred in a revival- of "The Wiz" with songstress Ashanti and actor Orlando Jones. And her resume continues to grow. She recently released her debut solo album, "Love LaChanze," and is currently working on a children's book "My Little l)t\ a.* A busy stage schedule has kept her away from previous NBTFs, LaChanze said, but Moore from pa A 1 "After I got the job, Mahalia told roe 'I'm so glad you got that part because they was worrying me to death,'" Moore said while smiling and imitating Jackson's southern accent . Jackson did have a part in the film, delivering a stirring rendition of "Trouble of the World." This was Moore's first time at the National Black Theatre Festival. She came to pick up a Living Legend Award, and to support her grandson. Kirk Kelley-Kahn, who produced the play "Reunion in BartersviJle." Grandmother and grandson have been joined at the hip for as long as both can remember. "She has been there for me when no one else has been ihere," said Kelley-Kahn. who inherited his grandmother's acting chops. She was squarely in his corner last year when he start ed making plans to revive the venerable Cambridge Players, a Los Angeles theater compa ny started by the late Ed Cambridge and made famous by those who starred in its pro ductions - people like Moore , Esther Rolle, Beah Richards and Helen Martin. In fact, Kelley-Khan made his stage debut in the company's pro duction of "The Amen Corner" when he was just an adolescent. The company had died when Cambridge passed away, and Kelley-Kahn concedes that there were some who wanted it to stay that way. They shot down his idea of creating Cambridge Players - Next Generation. "There were people that told me that it wasn't going to happen," he said. ' . ?? - PtkHo b> Kcviii Waliej LaChanie, right, poses with actress Starletlu DiiPais. she was happy to have been able to finally make it to town to witness for herself an event . she said she's heard so much about. '.'I've been wanting to come for a long time," I.aChanze commented, adding that she was "over whelmed" by the excitement of being surrounded by so many of her peers. The NBTF honored the accomplished actress with a Special Recognition Award at its Opening Night Gala and Awards Ceremony Monday night at the Benton Convention Center. LaChanze said she was wr Juanita Moore and her grandson. Kirk Kelley-Khan, at the Opening Night Gala. But his grandmother knew better. She encouraged her grandson to push on, even fronting him some money for the venture. Kelley-Khan jokes that she asks to be repaid everyday. "Bartersville" is the first of what Kelley-Khan hopes will be many productions for thtf new Cambridge Players. Moore, now 86, still acts, "if the right part comes along." In the last few years she's turned in memorable perform ances on the television shows "Judging Amy" and "ER" and in the Disney film, "The Kid " While one would expect her to name "Imitation of Life" as the favorite of her more than 30 films, Moore says the movie doesn't even rank near to the great experience she had filming 1952's "Affair in Trinidad" with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. "Glenn vvas helptul ... I don't- know if he was flirting with me or not. but he told me that 'I can look into your eyes and I can see star quality.'" Moore recalled before her grandson chimed in: "He was flirting with you." which made them both laugh. Kelley-Khan is also con vinced that Alfred Hitchcock had a thing for his grandmoth er. Moore starred in many episodes of his "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" in the 1960s. She shook her head and smiled at her grandson's insin uation and simply said of Hitchcock: "I loved him." Moore admits that it is dif ficult to outlive so many friends and colleagues. Most of all the original Cambridge rooto py i .ay la farmer Actors Jay Jones and Thom Scot I of the play "Mack Angels Over Tuskegee. honored 10 recede the recog nition "This is when you know thai \ou are doing something right, when the people that you w ork w ith stop and acknowledge you." she declared. "I feel xery touched b> this." LaChan/e's plane touched down in the Triad not long before Monday 's noon open ing press conference, where she was introduced to thun derous applause The actress said afterwards that she was still soaking it all in. "1 just got here," she explained. "I walked into this experience, and I 'm just over whelmed with all the beauti ful black people." LaChanze was tight lipped about her next role as cJeJails are still under wraps, but she ;>#id the public would be hearing more from her very soon. LaChanze currently resides in Westchester, New York, with her husband. Derek Ford jour. and their three children. Langstdn Fordjour, "Celia Gooding and Zaiya Gooding. The singer actress was eight months- pregnant with her second daughter. Zaya. when "hpr first husband, Calvin Gooding, was killed in the Worid Trade Center oh Sept It, 2001. The 38-year-old Gooding was a partner at the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which was head quarted in the doomed tow: ers. For more information abinii LaChanze, visit www. luchanze.com. Players have passed on. and of the "Imitation of Life" cast, only she and Susan Kohner, who played her daughter, are living. Lana Turner died in 1995 and Sandra Dee passed away a decade later. "I am thankful. God has left me here for a reason," she proclaimed. Moore still gets fan mail from people across the world, many of whom see "Imitation of Life" for the first time and are moved by her perform ance. Just recently, a man from Europe sent her a letter with $20 inside - presumably a fee to cover the two autographed photos he requested. "She sent them to him and sent the money back too," said Kelley-Khan, who is proud that his grandmother has become a legend in a league where few others exist. But Moore has never thought of herself in such terms. Although she paved the way for those who have come after her, Moore's always con sidered herself just a working actress - not an icon. But the attention she has received this week at the Theatre Festival has her mind now open to that possibility. "Since 1 have been here, I am thinking about it." she said with her trademark smile in place. One of Kelley-Khan's dreams is to get a documen tary made about his grand mother - a forum that will allow Moore to share her sto ries of extraordinary people, places and experiences with the entire world. Moore is slated to be on hand at 10 am. today (Aug. 6) as "Imitation of Life" is screened at the Forsyth County Library on Fifth Street. V. Acclaimed costume designer Reggie Ray walks down Fourth Street.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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