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Page 11
A Raisin In The Sun
by Kimberly K. Harding
The orchestra began the
prologue, the house lights began
to fade, and the chatter of an
eagerly awaiting audience began
to diminish signifyingthebegin
ning of the show that closed the
Spelman College Drama
Department’s theatrical season.
Raisin, a Tony and Grammy
award winning black musical,
was presented at the John D.
Rockefellar, Jr. Fine Arts
Building, April 12-14.
Raisin is the musical adapta
tion of Lorraine Hansberry's
award winning drama A Raisin In
The Sun, and what precise timing
it was for Spelman to present the
play in its musical form. This year
marked the twenty-fifth anniver
sary of the original drama, and all
of the Atlanta University Center
and the city of Atlanta were able
to become apart of the lively
celebration thanks to Raisin’s
director Dr. Linda Green and the
Morehouse-Spelman Players.
In brief, the play captivates the
essence of the black experience
as symbolized in Hansberry’s
Younger family —' a family
struggling for the realization of
their dreams and a measure of
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INSTITUTE
Younger’s “dreams" rely heavily
on a $10,000 inheritance from the
decreased head of the family, Big
Walter. Their dreams quickly
fade after Walter Lee invests the
entire insurance check in a faulty
deal, but hope suddenly appears
for them all after Mama instills in
her children the true value of
love and self-worthiness.
The cast was headed by Denise
Thimes as Lena Younger, the
indomitable mother figure
who’s strength and love kept the
family from falling apart. Thimes’
characterization was almost
flawless. Her youthfulness did
not reflect the generations that
actually lie between her true age
and Mama’s. Lena’s “money
hungry” son Walter Lee was
played by James Matthews.
Matthews character portrayal
was so credulously alive that
Matthews must have lost touch
with reality while creating the
staged illusion. With Jennifer
Harkness as his sensitive wife
Ruth, Jerald Loud as the son
Travis, and Corliss Randall who
did a job well done as the
Walter's diversified sister
Beneatha, the Younger family
dazzeled hundreds.
The show was filled with
by Kimberly Harding
The Theta Alpha Phi National
Honarary Dramatics Fraternity of
Spelman College will present
And Still I Rise, a readers theatre
work at 11:00 a.m. at the John D.
Rockefeller, Jr. Fine Arts Building
Theatre. And Still I Rise is a script
comprised of selected Negro
poetry and prose pieces that
depicts the plight of black social
equality, and the never ending
faith that the black race will
overcome. The show consist of
excerpts from such works as
Sanchez's Sister Sonja, Phillip
Hayes Dean’s Paul Robeson, and
the poetry of Langston Hughes,
Maya Angelou, Margaret Walker
and many others. This readers
theatre program was originally
written for Theta Alpha Phi, and
was first performed before the
Atlanta Internal Revenue Service
with good reviews in observation
of Black History Month.
Ron Sailor—
Continued from pg. 1
has come along and excited new
people,” said Mr. Sailor. As far as
he is concerned, this makes a
case for Jesse Jackson as one, and
not the only solution, of a
number of new people who are
going to occupy the principal
position in leadership of Black
America.
laughs and tender moments.
One could hear the rafters ring
with laughter when Corliss Ran
dall, later joined by James
Matthews, did her rendition of
the African dance in which she
explains is "welcoming the men
back to the village.” Crystal Long
as Mrs. Johnson, the Younger's
clamorous neighbor and in
stigator, had the audience in an
uproar when she pantomined
the "sickness" that she thought
might have been keeping
Beneatha from attending church
services. Setting a more mellow
ed atmosphere was the soul
stirring duet "Sweet Time” per
formed by Jennifer Harkness and
James Matthews in one of their
emotional moments. Jerald
Loud's “Sidewalk Trees” was also
well received, and there was just
no missing when Thimes rich alto
The Harlem YMCA Jazz Hall of
Fame will hold its first annual
induction ceremony and concert
Monday, May 14, 1984 at Avery
Fisher Hall in New York City. In
an effort to establish national
awareness and participation, the
Jazz Pall of Fame inductees are to
be selected through a public
polling.
Jazz lovers are requested to
submit the names of six artists,
three each in two categories,
living and deceased. Based on
suggested nominees, a panel of
jazz editorialists, critics,
producers and jazz connoisseurs
will provide a consensus.
Please forward your nominees
for induction to: The Harlem
YMCA Jazz Hall of Fame, Cew
York, New York 10030, post
marked no later than May 1,
1984.
Faculty Focus—
Continued from pg. 5
this: “Two goals foremost in my
mind for students here is that
they learn to love to read and to
take pleasure in the free ex
change of ideas.”
they learn to love to read and to
take pleasure in the free ex
change of ideas.”
Undoubtedly, Dr. Warner is a
special teacher. She blends her
dedication to her students with
her thoroughness of her field to
enhance the growth and future
careers of those she encounters.
voice belted "Measure the
Valleys.” The audience seemed
to have been engulfed by the
more dramatic moments. During
one of the most dramatic scenes
in the play, Mama slaps Beneatha
for disrespecting the Lords name
and demands Beneatha to
repeat, "In my mother’s house
there is still God.” One member
of the audience had no mercy for
Beneatha who was taking too
long to do as Mama asked and a
voice hollered "Slap her again!”
Some things were a little harder
to imagine than others, such as,
pantomiming the opening and
closing of the doors and the
African’s accent, but nothing
hindered the audience from
taking a vicarious trip to
Southside Chicago and reliving
the Younger’s experience.
There are still others who
by Kimberly K. Harding
Spring is here and once again it
is time for the Atlanta University
Dance Theatre's annual Spring
Concert, and have they got
something exciting in store for
you! This year the Spelman
College Dance Department has
planned a week of dance related
activities, beginning April 24-30.
These activities will include the
participation of this year’s special
guest artist, The Cleo Parker -
Robinson Dance Ensemble. On
April 27, the A.U.C. dance
troupe will feature their own Mr.
Sutton whowilldemonstrateTap
and Jazz styles and Dona Smith
who will perform a modern
dance Suite from which she is
April 23: Cleo Parker-
Robinson Company rehearsal,
Read Hall.
April 24: Open rehearsal
A.U.C. Dance Theatre, John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., Theatre.
Cleo Parker-Robinson Com
pany class and rehearsal, Read
Hall.
April 25: 8:00 p.m. A.U.C.
Theatre opening night with
guest artist Cleo Parker-
helped in making Raisin a
success. The supporting cast
included Vincent Tillman as
Joseph Asagi, Beneath's
philosphical Nigerian boyfriend;
Walter Lee's partners Willie
Harris and Bob were played by
Cornell Shelton and Steven
Coulter; Terry Hollis as Karl
Linder, the Claiborne Park Im
provement Association
Representative; and enthusiastic
chorus members. A ten piece
orchestra under the direction of
Terry Harper provided the
music, and Dr. O.O. Osadebe set
and lighting designs made the
production complete. Added to
that was Dr. Green's direction,
and the cast and crew, that made
one fine production close the
drama department’s 1983-84
season.
dedicating one of its movements
to the missing and murdered
children of Atlanta. A former
member of the dance group,
Charnell Holloway, will return to
perform an abstract modern
work of her own composition. As
one of its numbers, the Dance
Theatre will perform a work
entitled Jazz Trilogy.
Choreographed by Sutton, Jazz
Trilogy was performed and ad
judicated recently at the South
Regional Dance Festival at the
University of Florida at
Gainsville. The concerts will be
held in the John D. Rockefellar,
Jr. theatre at8:00 p.m. Admission
is free. (See below schedule.)
Robinson Dance Company
April 26 at 7:30 p.m.: Cleo
Parker - Robinson Dance Recital
M.L. King Chapel, Morehouse
College.
April 27 at 8:00 p.m.: A.U.C.
Dance Theatre Concert Featur
ing Tommy Sutton, Dona Smith,
and Charnell Holloway, John D.
Rockefeller, Jr. Theatre
April 30 at 6:30 p.m.: Dance
Exhibition, Read Hall
Theta Alpha Phi Will Present
“And Still I Rise”
Spring Concert Slated
Spring Concert Schedule