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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.
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