Photo by Layla Farmer
Geraldine Patton, left, and Mabel Robinson are carrying the Black Rep's baton.
Black Rep leaders excited
about new teen program
Youth productions will play more prominent role
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
With the dawning of a new
year comes the start of the
Teeh Theatre, a new program
for the North Carolina Black
Repertory . Company
? (NCBRC) and the first big ini
tiative since its founder and
visionary, the late Larry Leon
Hamlin, passed away last
summer.
Executive Director
Geraldine Patton and Artistic
Director Mabel Robinson
were appointed to their
respective positions last
October. Since that time, the
two women have been work
ing hard to keep up the furious
pace that the famed company
demands and to remain Jrue to
its original mission.
"I'm not looking to change
anything; I'm going to stay
the course because the course
that (Hamlin) has put us on is
the right thing," commented
Patton. "As we see opportuni
ties to continue quality the
ater, we will take some of
those directions, but we're not
looking really, other than to
bring the best in theater to this
community." "
As promised, the company
is following in the footsteps of
Hamlin's dreams. Auditions
were held Jan. 5 for the Teen
Theatre, which was created to
expand upon Hamlin's ever
present dedication to youth.
Designed for youth ages,
13-17 who have a strong inter
est in dramatic arts, the new
program will allow partici
pants to explore the world of
theater, putting on their own
performances with the help of
Robinson.
"It's to be a training pro
gram and performing of
course, training in, all three art
forms: dancing, singing and
acting," she ? explained.
"They've been included in our
productions, but now they can
have their own productions."
The the new arm of the
company began with an Oct.
25, 2007 production entitled,
"Choices." The show was
produced by the NCBRC and
funded by a grant from The
"Forsyth Adolescent_ Health
"Coalition. The play itself was
penned by Roz Fox, an actress
whom Hamlin mentored as a
youngster. Teens from the
Forsyth County Department of
Public Health's Teen Talk pro
gram helped Fox develop the
dialogue in the play and filled
most of the necessary roles on
stage and off.
"I was just in awe when I
saw the concept and then the
kids come in and for Mabel to
just take them from absolutely
no association and to develop
that into a finished product.
They were so proud of -what
they'd accomplished; the roles
that they had and that it was
saying what they wanted to
say in the way that they want
ed to say it," Patton said of the
original production, which
Robinson plans to turn into a
full-fledged Teen Theatre pro
duction. "I just thought it was
extraordinary to see that come
together and how much they
1
File Photo
Larry Leon Hamlin was known for his commitment to youths.
Here he is pictured with some Hill Middle School students he
worked' with serveral years ago.
appreciated the opportunity
and were looking forward to
continuing."
The company is not only
looking for talented youths
Robinson says - they have to
be dedicated too.
"If you're going to be a
part of it, you have to be com
mitted to it," she remarked.
"It's not just something you
can drop in when you want
to."
The students will be
expected to perform well,
both on stage and off,
Robinson added
"I'm a stickler about mak
ing sure their grades remain at
least a B," she stated.
"Usually when they are
focused in an art form, I find
that they do better in their
other curriculums as well,
(and) it's important for them
to know that the education
process is very important."
As they settle into their
new roles, both Robinson, a
renowned dancer and play^
wright whq taught at the
North Carolina School of the
Arts; and Patton, the former
office manager of the now
defunct LISC (Local
Initiatives Support
Coportation) office in
Winston-Salem and one-time
president of the NCBRC
Guild, say they are excited
about being at the helm of the
company as it forges into the
future. ?
"The best thing is to be
able to continue to give of
myself in the development of
theater and hopeftrtiy_af fhc- _
ater's excellence," Robinson
said with a satisfied smile.
"For me, there can be nothing
better than to be a part of the
Black Rep, the artistic director
of the Black Rep."
For more information .
about the Teen Theatre, con
tact Artistic Director Mabel
Robinson at the NCBRC
office, 336-723-22(56.
I Kit J. S\m i R, ni)S
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NEW PATIENTS
Our office provide* fhf following service*:
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News
Clips
Mabe completes infantry
training '
Army Rfr- David M.
Mabe has gnfcuated from
basic infantry training at Fort
Benning, Columbus, Ga.
During the nine weeks of
training, the soldier received
training in drill and cere
monies, weapons, map read
ing, tactics, military cour
tesy, military justice, physi
cal fitness, first aid, and
Army history, core values
and traditions. Additional
training included develop
ment of basic combat skills
and battlefield operations
and tactics, and experiencing
use of various weapons and
weapons defenses available
to the infantry crewman.
He is the son of Don
Mabe of Kernersville. Mabe
graduated in 2001 from East
Forsyth High School and
received a degree in 2006
from Forsyth Technical
Community College.
Deadline approacjiing for
internships with
NC government
North Carolina residents
attending a college, universi
ty, technical institute or com
munity college have until
Jan. 23 to apply for one of
100 paid state government
internships available in
2008. Established in 1969,
the program provides stu
dents real-world experience
in a wide range of state gov
ernment workplaces and
experience in public service.
Paid summer internships
are available in locations
across the state. They pro
vide North Carolina students
with a compensated profes
sional work experience thai
integrates education, career
development and public
service. Opportunities exist
in -numerous recognized
fields of study, from archi
tecture to zoology.
Interns earn a stipend of
$8.25 per hour and*work 40
hours per week in the sum
mer. They also participate in
seminars, tours or. other
activities designed to broad
en their perspective of public
service ajta state govern
ment.
To be eligible for the pro
gram, a student must be a
North Carolina resident with
an overall grade-point aver
age of 2.5 or better on a 4.0
scale, and must have com
pleted at least one year of
study. To qualify for a posi
tion,, designated for law
interns, a student must have
completed at least one year
of law school .
Interns are selected
through a competitive
process overseen by the N.C.
Internship Council.
Details about the program
and a listing of summer 2008
internships are available by
calling the Youth Advocacy
and Involvement Office in
the N.C. Department of
Administration at 919-789
5880, or by visiting its web
site at
http://www.ncyaio.com.
Chapters to observe
Founders Day
The Winston-Salem Salem
Alumnae, Gamma Phi and Pi
Omicron Chapters of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will
observe Founders Day on
Sunday, Jan. 13 at 4 pjn.
The chaplers will feature
Dr. Julianne Malveaux,
President of Bennett College
for Women as the speaker. Dr.
Malveaux is also a renowned
economist, author and com
mentator. The event will be
held in the Brendle Recital Hal!
of the Scales Fine Arts
Building on the campus oi
Wake Forest University.
The public is invited tc
attend.
Scheck and Estrich will
headline UNC death*
penalty talk
Famed attorney Barry.
Scheck, a founder and direc
tor of the Innocence Project,
and
Susan
Estrich,
a n
author
and
syndi
cated
colum
n i s t ,
<- w i I t
discuss Sckeck
t h e
death penalty on Jan. 17 at
the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Their dialogue, at 7:30
p.m. in Memorial Hall, is one
of four events early this year,
all free to the public, for
. "Criminal/Justice: The Death
Penalty Examined," UNC's
yearlong discussion of capi
tal punishment.
Estrich, a law professor at
the University of Southern
California, believes that cap
ital punishment should be
avoided if doubt about guilt
or innocence remains or
counsel has been inadequate.
However, in the most clear
and heinous cases, the death
penalty is just, she said. She
wrote "Getting Away with
Murder: How Politics Is
Destroying the Criminal
Justice System."
Scheck and Peter Neufeld
founded and direct the
Innocence Project, which
seeks to exonerate wrongful
ly convicted people across
the country through DNA
testing. Scheck also received
media attention for his role
as a^DNA expert on O.J.
Simpson's defense team.
Tickets are required for
admission. Free tickets are
I available at the Memorial
; Hall Box Office on Cameron
f Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. weekdays* Call 919
, 843-3333 to reserve tickets.
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