« Success and More | Main | Learning to Fly »

Community Performance Inc.

June 08, 2008

The mayor of Lavonia has come three times, the chief of police twice, Harold, a city council person and project leader has come twice, his wife three times. Margaret Ayers, widow of the courageous mayor who created the interracial council, has been to four out of five of the performances. It's a very powerful show, but people are coming for more than theater when they come this often, they're coming for nutrition. The play is feeding spirit, in the Land of Spirit.

A very precious moment happened for me yesterday when Swamp Gravy cast members arrived to join with the cast of LOS for a kind of christening. SG sang in Sweet By and By and did remembrances with their sister project, and at intermission LOS and SG sang Karen Kimbrel's storytelling song together.

I think the SG people loved the show. I know they had to be moved by the courage of the community to tell such a story as Barbara Clark's civil rights night march in the rain. I think the LOS folks were honored to have these volunteers from 300 miles away come to see them simply for the sake of wishing them well and seeing their work.

One of the cast, Ta'Shay is going to school only an hour from Swamp Gravy. She promises she'll be in the cast. I don't know how she'll do it with gas prices. But I love her sentiment.

The play has strong black leaders. Will they be willing to become strong leaders for the project? We've had authentic conversation about the pain for black and white that bought us the freedom to tell this hard story. Will we continue, especially when CPI is not present, to sit at the table, to work on relationship?

I'm driving back home to Atlanta, now, and flying home to Adrienne in a couple of hours. I carry with me the memory of struggle, I am tired, and most of all, I am grateful to have witnessed. .

   

« Success and More | Main | Learning to Fly »