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Retired And Proud Members Attend ‘Black Nativity’ Play
Last Saturday, members of Retired and Proud (RAP) and their guests vis- ited Sarasota for the pres- entation of “The Black Nativity” play. It was presented at the West Coast Black Theatre.
The play was written by Langston Hughes, a noted poet and playwright, and performed by an all- Black cast.
Before the play began, Nate Jacobs, founder of the West Coast Black The- atre (WCBT), publicly thanked Howard Harris for his 17 years of support- ing the organization.
In the past, Harris has been responsible for bring- ing plays to Tampa on two separate occasions and has made it possible for several people from Tampa to travel to Sarasota to view a play.
After the play ended, Ms. Betty Coleman, a City of Tampa retiree said, “I had no idea what the play was about. They made the Bible story so real. Joy filled my heart and tears flowed down my cheeks it was so beautiful.”
Ms. Cherylene Levy
said, “I cracked up when one of the gossipy women described Jesus’ mother’s pregnancy as maybe
caused by a fine six foot, five Black man and won- dered where she had found him.
“When the Angel ad- dressed Mary for the first time in her strong voice, Mary feigned fright. But the audience jumped also,” Ms. Levy said.
Ms. Tammy Wilds
said, “The play truly put me in the true Christmas spirit of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“I expected a good play. That’s why I gathered my Tampa relatives for the trip to Sarasota. Instead of good, we were treated to New York City Broadway quality,” Ms. Geraldine Orr, retired secretary of Florida AME Church said.
Originally performed on Broadway in 1961, “The Black Nativity” cele- brates the events sur- rounding the birth of Jesus with a distinctly African American flavor. It features gospel music and dance.
Troy Collier, Univer- sity of South Florida re- tiree, took notice of the lack of African Americans in the audience. He realized that with the exception of Re- tired and Proud members and their guests, Blacks made up about a fourth of the audience.
Nate Jacobs, WCBT Founder and Artistic Director, left, is shown with Howard F. Har- ris, Jr., RAP President and co-sponsor of the “The Black Nativity” play.
WCBT Tarra Conner Jones, left, who played the role of an Angel in “The Black Nativity,” is shown with Cherylene Levy.
Janet and Troy Collier were among Tampa mem- bers of Retired and Proud who attended the event.
Erica Wright and Tammy Wilds attended the play.
Theresa Saddler, Lora Stevens, Chrissy Orr, and Geraldine Orr traveled to Sarasota to see the “The Black Nativity” play.
Among those who attended the play are from left to right: Virginia Arno, Jeri Nelson, Gwen Reeves, Kiedelle Petway, Marilyn Bell, and Margaret Petway.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A