Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Aug. 1, 2019, edition 1 / Page 2
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A2 August 1, 2019 The Chronicle NBTF From page Al Evans. Xavier Pierce received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design and Winston-Sa lem native French La’Vern was presented the award for Outstanding Achieve ment in Costume Design. Retired Winston-Salem State University professor Dr. Elwanda Ingram was presented the Theatre Arts & Humanitarian Award for her dedication to the fes tival and the N.C. Black Repertory Company (NC- BRC). Outstanding Achieve ment in Scenic Design was awarded to James V. Thomas, Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management was awarded to Femi Sarah Heggie, and Black Spectrum Theatre Company, which is located in New York, received the Theatre Longevity Award. The Marvtastic Philanthro py Award was presented to a representative from BB&T. Tony-nominated actor turned director Michele Maria Howell sings at the 2019 NBTF Opening Night Gala, which was held on July 29. Shay received the Lloyd Richards Director Award, and novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and pro fessor, Pearl Cleage, was awarded the August Wil son Playwright Award. Chicago native Kamilah Forbes took home the Lar ry Leon Hamlin Producer Award. A new award was pre sented during the gala this year as well. The Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premier Award was awarded to Nambi E. Kel ley. Currently serving as playwright-in-residence at New Victory Theatre and The Dramatists Guild Foundation in New York City, Kelley has been com missioned by the N.C. Black Repertory Company to write “Maya,” a stage production inspired by the life and legacy of the late Maya Angelou. The award, named after NC- BRC board president and the widow of Larry Leon Hamlin, guarantees at least three regional productions of the play. When she took the stage, Kelley thanked the NCBRC and NBTF for their continued support. She said, “Thank you, I am honored. I am blessed and my intention is to continue to serve you all the days of my life.” The coveted Sidney Poitier Lifelong Achieve ment Award was presented to Tony and Emmy Award winner Leslie Uggams. A native of New York, Ug gams got her start in the atre at the young age of six. By the time she was nine, Uggams was wow ing crowds at the famous Apollo Theater. Through out the 1960s, she show cased her talents on a range of shows including “Your Show of Shows,” “The Milton Berle Show,” “The Arthur Godfrey Show” and several others. She also made appearanc es on “Empire,” “Nurse Jackie,” and the blockbust er movies “Deadpool” and “Deadpool 2.” After receiving her award from her close friend, Andre De Shields, Uggams said she has al ways loved performing and being on stage. She said what helped her early on was having amazing mentors and actors to work with and that’s what we need more of today to con tinue pushing Black The atre in the right direction. “Even at six years old, I knew that I was work ing with greatness and I always tried to do what I needed to do to be success ful and it has been a glori ous time in this business,” she said. “In this business, it’s a family affair. That’s what it’s all about. We all have to help each other out. And I’m here to tell you that Black Theatre will be vibrant.” Following the gala, celebrity guests and fes tivalgoers traveled to the Stevens Center to see the opening production of “Jelly’s Last Jam.” Di rected by Jackie Alexander and produced by the NC BRC, the award-winning musical tells the story of innovator Ferdinand Jo seph LaMothe, who later became Jelly Roll Morto, a jazz pioneer. The National Black Theatre Festival will run through Saturday, Au gust 3. For more informa tion and ticket prices visit https://ncblackrep.org/ nbtf-info/. NBTF record-breaking start reflects on the importance of the bi ennial festival BY TEVIN STINSON THECHRONICLE If you’re strapped for cash and can’t afford to spend $40 or $50 on a ticket to one of the produc tions during the National Black Theatre Festival, an easy and no-cost way to rub elbows with the stars Celebrity co-chair Chester Gregory addresses the crowd during the opening press conference of the National Black Theatre Festival. is to attend the daily press conferences held at The Marriott Hotel. Each day at noon dur ing the festival, actors, directors, writers, and oth ers with ties to the festival come together to discuss their productions and give the public a taste of what they might see during the festival. During the open Sidney Poitier Lifelong Achievement Award recipient Leslie Uggams during the NBTF opening press conference earlier this week. ing press conference on Monday, July 29, NBTF media director Brian McLauglin, announced that plays this year have sold out faster than ever, which is a testament to the good job the selection committee did when nar rowing the productions down to a select few. “We have sold out shows the earliest we have in festival history. That tells me that the selection committee was awesome,” continued Mclaughlin. “We had so many submis sions and they drilled it down to the best. You are in for a treat this week and we are very excited.” This year’s festival, which started on Monday, July 29 and ends on Satur day, August 3, will include more than 120 plays from 36 different states and South Africa, and much, much more, such as a film fest, International Col loquium, International Vendors Market, Words & Verses (formerly Midnight Poetry Jam), several work shops and seminars, a Na tional Youth Talent Show case, and the Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series, just to name a few. While the press con ference serves as a guide to what’s what at the fes tival, the celebrity guests use the time to talk about their past experiences at Photos by Tevin Stinson National Black Theatre Festival celebrity co-chair Margaret “Suge” Avery during the opening press conference on Monday, July 29, at The Marriott Hotel. the festival and why they continue to come back. Celebrity co-chairs Mar garet “Suge” Avery and Chester Gregory said they were grateful to serve as co-chairs of such an im portant event. Andre De Shields leads everyone in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing ” during the opening press conference of the National Black Theatre Festival. “I just want to let you know how much we actors and people in theatre ap preciate all your support,” Avery said. Gregory, who is the only actor to headline the National Black Theatre Festival three times, said it felt awesome to be back on Black Theatre Holy Ground. He said since the beginning ofhis career, the NBTF has given him the support he needed to pur sue his goals. “Since the very begin ning you all have been there. This always feels like home and I’ll never forget the first time I had a chance to perform here. I got a chance to meet the great Andre De Shields and he took me under his wing to be my friend and mentor,” continued Greg ory. “He told me things that opening night that prepared me for ten-plus years in Broadway musi cals.” Other celebrity guests who joined Avery and Gregory at the press con ference were: Andre De Shields, Bill Cobbs, Leslie Uggams, Ted Lange, Keith David, Colby Christina, Qaasim Middleton, Khalil Middelton and several oth ers. The daily press confer ence is held in the lobby of the Marriot Hotel, 425 North Cherry Street. The press conference is free, but if you plan on attend ing, you may want to get there early because seats go fast. For more information on the National Black The atre Festival, visit https:// ncblackrep.org/nbtf-info/. CONTACTING THE CHRONICLE www.wschronicle.com 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101 Main Phone Number: 336-722-8624 Advertising: Ext. 113 Circulation/Subscriptions: Ext. 100 To send news items: email news@wschronicle.com To send a Letter to the Editor (350 words or less) or column (550 words or less): email letters@wschronicle.com For advertising: email adv@wschronicle.com For subscriptions: email plewis@wschronicle.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/WSChron- icle Follow us on Twitter: WS Chronicle The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Chronicle Media Group, LLC, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. An nual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636 Editor: Ext. 108
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