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Six Nights in the Black Belt
Aug. 26th, 2010 11:34 pmTonight was opening night for a play about a pretty amazing man named Jonathan Daniels . He was murdered in Selma, Alabama in 1965 after being arrested for picketing all white stores with a group of other protestors. A friend of mine wrote the play ( Six Nights in the Black Belt) and it has just been an amazing experience.
I'm part of the black gospel choir - and yes, those of you who know me might point out that I'm not black. Well, hush, y'all, they don't seem to mind and neither do I.
The harmonies are tight, the people are amazingly fantastic, and tonight we just rocked the whole thing. And Jonathan Daniels' best friend was here to see it with his wife and he was impressed and moved.
Another friend is taping us (it's easy when you have the playwright's permission!) and I can't wait to see the finished product, though I told him he ought to film the choir backstage during the second act. We all are sitting in a very tiny space (six of us, plus another actor), in the dark, with heavy black curtains on three sides of us. We're there for all but the last couple of minutes of the act and most of the time we're either singing or humming as the protestors locked in jail. It's an incredible experience. We're all just there, eyes closed most of the time, humming 'Hold On' or 'We Shall Overcome' or 'Amazing Grace' or 'Jacob's Ladder', all together, all singing as one. And these guys have some incredible voices, let me tell you! I'm honored to be able to sing with them.
Four more performances. Anyone near Southern New Hampshire who can get up and see it well, it's well worth the trip.
I'm part of the black gospel choir - and yes, those of you who know me might point out that I'm not black. Well, hush, y'all, they don't seem to mind and neither do I.
The harmonies are tight, the people are amazingly fantastic, and tonight we just rocked the whole thing. And Jonathan Daniels' best friend was here to see it with his wife and he was impressed and moved.
Another friend is taping us (it's easy when you have the playwright's permission!) and I can't wait to see the finished product, though I told him he ought to film the choir backstage during the second act. We all are sitting in a very tiny space (six of us, plus another actor), in the dark, with heavy black curtains on three sides of us. We're there for all but the last couple of minutes of the act and most of the time we're either singing or humming as the protestors locked in jail. It's an incredible experience. We're all just there, eyes closed most of the time, humming 'Hold On' or 'We Shall Overcome' or 'Amazing Grace' or 'Jacob's Ladder', all together, all singing as one. And these guys have some incredible voices, let me tell you! I'm honored to be able to sing with them.
Four more performances. Anyone near Southern New Hampshire who can get up and see it well, it's well worth the trip.
