Stephanie Berry in
"The Shaneequa Chronicles."
Funny Blunder??
Stephanie Berry gets the award for best sense of
umor at this year's National Black Theatre Festival.
kn acclaimed actress of stage, screen and television*
erry has brought her Obie Award-winning one
'oman show "The Shaneequa Chronicles" to the
rBTF. The show, which is directed by Jeffery V.
hompson, debuts tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 7) at 8 p.m.
t the Black Box at the Reynolds Auditorium. It will
Iso hit the stage at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday,
^g. 8.
When actor Horace Rodgers, a longtime NBTF
upporter, introduced Berry to the managing editor of
"he Chronicle (who shall remain nameless) on
londay, Rodgers mentioned that the photograph that
in with a profile of "The Shaneequa Chronicles" in
le paper's popular NBTF Special Section was not of
erry. To confirm whether his statement was true or
ilse, the trio tracked down one of the special editions
nd feverishly found the page in question. IT IS NOT
1ER!!!!
Berry and Rodgers had a big laugh over the gaffe,
'hile The Chronicle's managing editor looked for a
lace to bury his head, shame and embarassment. The
hotogragh is from the play "Katrina: The Bridge," a
lluunwi School o( Thtauc and-Awce
roduiffOTfin which Berry did star. But the imagS is Of
nother actress in the play. A still laughing Berry said
tat she would send a copy of the section to the actress
d that she too could get a laugh or two.
Our sincere apologies to Ms. Berry, who has shown
lat she is a real pro in every sense of the word.
Tickets to her show, which is being staged with
The Resurrection of Alice," are $37 and can be pur
hased in advance at the Benton Convention Center
cket desk or at the door (if they are still available)
efore the performance.
Theater icon Woodie King Jr.
Poitier gives shout-out to
King, NBTF
Fittingly, the presenter of this year's Sidney Poitier
Lifelong Achievement Award was Poitier himself - well
sort of.
The trailblazing actor sat down with up-and-coming
director/actor Karamu Kush in Los Angeles soon before
this year's NBTF started and taped a tribute to Woodie
King Jr., who received the honor this year. The video was
to be shown during Monday's Opening Night Gala, but
the sound system failed, so Poitier's message was not
shown in its entirety.
Festival organizers corrected the oversight on
Tuesday by screening it in the lobby of the downtown
Marriott, the NBTF's central hub. King is a highly
respected producer, director and founder of the New
Federal Theater in New York, which launched the careers
of too many stars to name. He was present at the make
good screening, smiling humbly as Poitier - with his
trademark articulate, lyrical voice - praised King for
uplifting black theater, calling him "a source of inspira
tion that will inspire the movement of African-American
theater for generations to come."
"You are a credit to your profession," said Poitier of
King.
Poitier also had kind words for the National Black
Theatre Festival, an event he attended several years ago.
"Black theater would not be standing as tall if it were
not for the New Federal Theater and the National Black
Ik. i? t
Hhoio b> Ralph Meadow*
"Good Times" cast members John Amos, Hern Sadette Salnis and Ralph
Carter pose after the gala.
Photo by Ralph Meadows
Actress and Winston-Salem native Faye
Hauser, left, poses with actress Barbara
Montgomery.
Photo* hy Kevin Walker
Left: NHTF
Superfan
Sylvia
K i m b ro u g h
poses with
actor I. amman
Rucker.
Right: Dallas '
Lucy Ewing,
actress
Charlene
Til ton.
Photos by Kevin Walker
Winston- Salem -horn actress/talk show host Rolonda Watts
with her mother, the accomplished Dr. Vebna Watts.
Starletta DuPois gets excited as she recites I.angston
Hughes' "Mother to Son."
Photo by Ralph Meadow ?>
Dorien Wilson with "Extremities'1 co-star
Wendy Raquel Robinson.
City native Ken Lewis, who just announced his intentions to run for the
U.S. Senate next year, with his wife. Holly, and sister, Robin Lewis (far
left), an accomplished local nurse.
Chester Gregory, star of the NBTF
classic, "The Jackie Wilson Story."
NRTF favorite F.lla Joyce.
Broadway legend Andre De Shields.
Actor Hawthorne James.
Sesame Street's Gordon, actor Roscoe
Orman.
Magnum, P.l.'s Roger E. Mosley.