Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 3-11-16 Edition

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City Candlelight Vigil To Be Held At Cuscaden Park
On Friday, March 11th from 6 p. m. until 8 p.m., a candle- light vigil will be held at Cusca- den Park, 21st Avenue and 15th Street.
The vigil is being hosted by the New Black Panther Party, and Ali Muhammad’s “Stop The Violence Tampa Bay” organization.
“If you’ve lost someone due to gun violence, or know some- one who has, please attend this vigil at Cuscaden Park,” said Ali Muhammad.
“This is a city-wide day of recognition and healing, and everyone will join together in prayer for the lives already lost and to prevent more deaths.
“I’m calling on the commu- nity to take a stand to band to- gether stronger than ever, because at the rate right now, Tampa homicides are running neck-to-neck with Miami-Dade and Duval Counties.”
“Spring Break is approach- ing the city, and I recall on March 24, 2007, I lost a close friend, Torrie Leon Mc- Duffie, who wanted more out of life, and had a lot of life ahead before it was tragically cut short.
“There have been many more since then who have lost their lives to gun violence, and now we have to reach one, teach one, and save one on this day set aside to remember our loved ones. Let’s come and pray for peace and unity.”
Special invited guests will be the B.Y.C. (Building Your Com- munity, FOI), community lead- ers, churches, and residents.
“We want this to be a his- toric day and we’re asking everyone to bring candles or use the flashlight on their phones,” said Ali Muhammad.
For more information, call (813) 502-0338.
The Space:
A Theater On Old Main Street
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Features Writer
In the theater community throughout Tampa Bay, actress Erica Sutherlin is well- known for her stand-out acting chops in a number of plays such as “Steel Magnolias” and the upcoming “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.”
She’s also a performance arts instructor at Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, teaching students acting and directing.
But with her latest venture, Ms. Sutherlin is proving to be a woman whose talents aren’t limited to the stage or behind the camera.
Last fall, Ms. Sutherlin and partners Jared O’Roark and Rob Morris opened The Space at 2106, a theater nes- tled on Main Street in Old West Tampa.
Erica Sutherlin inside the theater.
On the outside, the build- ing is a dark nondescript hulk with huge clapboards that cover the windows. But inside is a colorful, airy space with stained wooden benches adorned with comfy pillows and a stage on wheels that
makes it possible to set it up anywhere in the room.
The variety of events from birthday parties and game nights, to spoken word shows and, of course, plays. Her posi- tion as The Space’s artistic managing director makes Ms. Sutherlin, 36, the only Black woman at the head of a theater in the Tampa Bay area.
It’s her job to work with Mr. O’Roark and Mr. Mor- ris to keep the venue hopping with a slate of diverse activities and events that both showcase artistic expression and make money.
While the community is in- vited to be part of The Space, Ms. Sutherlin said she’s hes- itant to call it a community theater.
“It’s a place to come and pitch an idea and see if there’s something we can do with it,” she said.
Ms. Sutherlin, who boasts a resume littered with dozens of productions that she’s either starred in or di- rected, said playing business- woman in this latest role is a natural fit. When the St. Louis native was studying theater performance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, professors cou- pled lessons on screenwriting and filmmaking with lectures on marketing and business analysis.
“I have to give homage to my training,” she said. “(My mentors) made sure (business) was part of my training.”
It’s a mistake for actors to focus solely on their art and fail to learn the business side of the entertainment industry, Ms. Sutherlin said.
“You should always under- stand some aspects of the (per- forming arts) business,” she said. “If you don’t, that’s how you get played.”
Juggling her creative side with her business acumen isn’t difficult, but running a theater is very different from appear- ing in one, she said.
“This is my first venture into the business side and I’m learning a ton from that,” she said. “I’m learning where my strengths lie.”
Ms. Sutherlin said her partners are making it easy to navigate these new waters.
“Jared and I focus on the creativity and the projects,” she said. “Then I partner with Robert in keeping the place running.”
Mr. O’Roark said he couldn’t imagine working with anyone else.
“She’s a talent and a force,” he said. “She fills in my holes when it comes to business and art.”
While Old West Tampa is transforming due to the demo- lition of nearby public housing and new proposed construc- tion projects going up, is by no means ushering in a gentrifica- tion of the neighborhood, Ms. Sutherlin said.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A