04/15/2012
The play I wrote and God authored, They Didn't Know, went off well. This is the first performance, but this is just the beginning! If God touches it, it will come to more churches than just Friendship! We do this! The Trill Nerd Company! When you see that black hoodie and glasses, you'll know I had a hand in it. Now that I got me out of the way, I will give thanks to the far more important parts of this play: my family and friends who participated who are too many to name right now, but I will attempt it. I would like to thank Nia Imani, Madame Director, for being on my team and motivating me to write this play in the first place. Love you! Tiye Gaidi, I just love you dearly. Lianne Hibbert, love you for taking my chaotic thoughts and forming them into actual play format, instead of whatever I thought I was doing. Maria Loraine Smith, Faith Berniece Simpson, I would be able to fill up a status just talking about either one of you, but you already know what I would say, so I don't have to say it. :) Juanita Hardaway as the rock the Church was built upon; if you gotta be a chick playing a man, might as well be Simon Peter. Preosha Jones, my baby cousin. Robert Coleman and Anthony Evans, my audio visual guys who make sure you see the magic. Barbie Jones, my big cousin who makes things happen period. Prentice Jones, construction man and the person I'd probably wanna be when I grow up HA! Jeffrey, I don't remember your last name but it's gravy, I appreciate the effort and I always keep my eyes open for a good soldier. A special thanks, of course, to Rev. Caroles Taylor who believed in me and made me work to make a good script a great one. Lord have mercy: Vivian Evans as the narrator, maestro, and MY OTHER MAMA! Dee Campbell-Carter for the costumes and just being my Mama Dee; she FORCED me to make a special place in my heart for her LOL and then made me enjoy the journey. Kurtis Carter, you ain't special no more, you're extraordinary and always was, little brother. Shout out to the choir, the soundtrack to the greatest story ever told and my family; shout out to the stage crew; who else did I miss? Jasmine Hardaway, for just being Jazzy and supporting me, though being Jazzy was all I ever asked from her. Muslimah Carpenter, who, I hear, did as well as I expected her to: I'm just flattered that a seasoned professional like her took the time to do my lil' ol' play LOL but thank you very much, I wanted to get the youth involved in something new and apparently it worked out. My big cousin Sandra Turner. The kitchen staff who fed the audience physically as my church theater troupe fed their spirits. T.J., who was a soldier through sickness and in health, and not just on stage. Savann (sp?), I appreciate you stepping up to the plate on my play as much as I appreciate you helping keep the church beautiful. Anyone else I missed, I'm sorry and I'll add you in the comments. Except I waited to talk about the last two guys on purpose, my solid homies who have seen my ups and downs, my kid brothers and baby cousins and young homeboys all rolled together; the black Dynamic Duo who were the linchpins of my play. I put a lot on you brothas, and you rose to the challenge, as soldiers are supposed to. I'm very thankful to Bradley Drhardaway, the Chief Priest and, more importantly, the conflicted governor Pontius Pilate. The tension between Pontius and Jesus makes the play, and from what I've heard, you were so good people thought you really hated Jesus. Take care of yourself, keep doin' you, and know you always have a place in my plays if you want it bad enough. Then there's my younger taller twin, the dude I will always remember as a little bony dude who talked a mile a minute; he had heart back then, definitely does now, and I'm so proud that Bradford BlackGambit Hardaway stepped up to the plate and played the Son of Man. Without Jesus, there is no play; with Jesus, all things are possible: for once, I wanted the Rose of Sharon to truly have 'hair like wool, and feet the color of brass' like the Scriptures say, and you and your brother did better than I could ever have asked. Thank you for showing people that you don't have to be white with blue eyes to be like and live like the Messiah. Let's be clear: the story was geared towards everybody of every race, and anyone interested in this play is welcome to put a white Jesus in his place. If it's a church in Hawaii, Jesus will be Hawaiian. If it's a church in Norway, Jesus will be Nordic. I was trying to let people know, if anything, that Jesus' race wasn't anything to trip over at all; whatever color you think he was, it was just an attribute he had, it didn't make him or break him to be any particular color, and I'm pretty sure the Christ is tougher than we give him credit for. People are afraid to even hint that Jesus may not have been white, and it's not that big a deal! O.K., whether Jesus was white or black he still suffered and died for what he believed in, which was God and our better angels. Does Jesus's skin color change a single word he said? Would Jesus's words be less potent if he were black, or hispanic, or native american? I think Jesus touches people because of his faith, not because of his race. Jesus got beaten and hung on a cross to suffocate, he can take a reasoned analysis I think! Love every race and every kind of person, I just want to teach and if I'm wrong about anything I say, let me know and make sure you back it up with facts! I always say, read the Scriptures and you don't have to trust what I say. Hit me with comments and notes about how we did, thoughts on the play or on Jesus himself. Anointment cometh from the head down!
