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A
STAR-STUDDED
1998 AUDELCO
NIGHT
IN HARLEM
Reported
by Jean Charles,
Antigonee
Hawkins, Shakira
White
with Advisors Elaine
Johnson, Garland
Lee Thompson
Photos by Shem
Rajoon
See QuickTime Movies of the Reception and a listing
of the winners (to be posted by 12/8/98)
What others ignore AUDELCO
applauds. A thunderous, foot stomping, joyful recognition of outstanding
Black plays and performers of the 1997-1998 season was once again
held at the beautiful Aaron Davis Hall on the City College Campus.
It was a star-studded evening in the village of Harlem.
 This
26th annual Vivian Robinson AUDELCO
Recognition Awards Ceremonies held Monday, November 16th was slammin'
off the meter with Black luminaries of the theatre. These thespians
had a ball, all coming together once a year, to be honored by
the community that nurtured and supported their careers.
A
Star-Studded V.I.P. Reception
The elegant V.I.P. reception, hosted by the board of directors
and their new AUDELCO
Executive Director, Carrie Jackson, turned into a "Homecoming"
with both freshman and graduates of the Black theatre in attendance.
There was in one corner of the Theatre B Reception room, Imamu
Amiri Baraka and Melvin Van Peeples, reminiscing. At
the other end of the room, you found actress/singer Leslie Uggams
and George Faison networking (He won the AUDELCO
Best Choreographer Award during the gala evening). At the buffet
table was actor Count Stovall and poet/playwright Ntozake Shange
sampling the fine delicacies. She was guest Hostess for the gala
evening and she is famous for writing the Broadway hit choreo-play,
"for colored girls who have considered suicide when a rainbow
is enuf."  Looking
across the room, you found "the Grand Dame" of the evening, 84
years young, Gertrude Jeannette (Her company, the H.A.D.L.E.Y.
Players won five AUDELCO
Awards during the big event) enjoying her meal with her guests.
There were hugs and kisses with well wishes all through the night.
And especially from Producer Woody King and other playwright-nominee
Joyce Sylvester, to Best Playwright Award-winner, Lillie Marie
Redwood. Satan
Never Sleeps
"The family" was in the house as was Lloyd Richards, director
of two Pulitzer Prize plays by August Wilson. And did they celebrate
loudly when actor/playwright Ronald Wyche's musical play, "Satan
Never Sleeps," won four AUDELCO
Awards in the Musical categories.  Answer
to the "Great White Way"
It all began in 1973, when Ms. Vivian Robinson, who
was working for the New York Amsterdam News in Harlem, saw the
need for Black thespians to be honored for their work, by people
who saw their artistic talents firsthand. According to one guest,
these performers were overshadowed and often were over looked
by the "Great White Way" and the New York Theatre scene.
Sensing this
need for an organization which critiques and supports Black theatrical
productions, she created AUDELCO
(Audience Development Committee) with a few of her lady friends.
Now these were not your average and typical church ladies. God
Bless them for they loved the theatre, culture and the arts. They
liked to party hearty! Now
in it's 26th year of existence, AUDELCO
is continuing to honor and recognize "Black theatrical productions,
actors, directors, playwrights and designers of the past and present.
This year they are honoring some of the best Black playwrights
of the 20th century. Ed
Bullins ("Goin' a Buffalo", "In The Wine Time" & "The Electronic
Nigger") Imamu Amiri Baraka ("Dutchman" and "The Slave") and filmmaker/writer
Melvin Van Peebles (He wrote the Broadway plays, "Ain't Supposed
To Die A Natural Death" & "Don't Play Us Cheap," as well as
the hit 70's pioneer Black film, "SweetBack's Badass Song")
 They
were given "Outstanding Pioneer Awards" for their commitment and
contribution to African-American playwrighting and literature.
The theme of the evening was: "Power
of the Word."
In other words, this award show highlighted some of the most profound
and creative minds of the century in American literature. So,
without a doubt, it was an honor and treat for our HarlemLive
youth online magazine "posse," to be in the house, covering "the
super bad" event, for the first time. After this HarlemLive report,
everybody's has to be there next year in November, 1999, for the
last AUDELCO
Award night gala in the Millennium. |
