I'm especially grateful because they lived through the edits that Harry Waters Jr. and I were making as we went along. I swear I never added a page of dialogue the day before a performance! However it wasn't that easy for the cast as I shaped and re-shaped the story, the sequence of scenes and relationships over the course of the rehearsal period. I've learned quite a bit since then, and already did my rewrites after the New Conservatory Theatre Center (https://www.nctcsf.org/) production and then more just before the new cast started rehearsal. And I'm keeping my editing pen to myself!
Pictured above: Lonnie Haley, Desiree Rogers, Christopher Nelson, Liam Hughes and Wm. Hunter (in their arms) along with Fred Pitts, William Giammona, and James Martin. They all worked through my words with kindness and professionalism adding their spirit along the way which helped me through some of the places where my writing faltered. They were a World Championship Team!
And that doesn't mean we had no conflicts or difficult moments. But the true test of a team is being able to work through those and go on to create the best work you can. And they did that. The team also included, of course, all the of the production artists and administrators at NCTC as well as Thomas Simpson of AfroSolo Theatre Company (https://www.afrosolo.org) who was an associate producer of the project.
I'd especially like to acknowledge Wm. Hunter who played Jimmy and has since passed away. We have many stories to share about William but we'll keep them for our reunion. But one thing I'm especially proud of is that William had been told he looked and sounded like James Baldwin most of his tough life; and it wasn't always a compliment! With the NCTC production we were able to fulfill one of the greatest dreams of William's life: to play the heroic role of Baldwin.
Next time I'll have pix of the new cast and tell them how lucky they are that I'm staying on the other side of the continent as they shape their roles! Having seen each of them in the auditions I have such excitement I'm proud of my restraint. By the time I get to NYC they will be comfortably settled into their parts and I know I'll have the good fortune of seeing my words in a completely new light.
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