Art

‘JQA’ Sheds New Light on Life of John Quincy Adams

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The world premiere of “JQA,” a fictitious tale written and directed by Aaron Posner about the life of the eighth secretary of state and the sixth president of the U.S., John Quincy Adams, presents a challenging perspective on American history that continues to affect the nation some 150 years after his death.

Published

6 years ago

March 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By D. Kevin McNeir

The world premiere of “JQA,” a fictitious tale written and directed by Aaron Posner about the life of the eighth secretary of state and the sixth president of the U.S., John Quincy Adams, presents a challenging perspective on American history that continues to affect the nation some 150 years after his death.

The play continues at the Arena Stage through April 14 and while Posner succeeds in his goal to help us “look at today through the lens of yesterday,” one has to wonder why he felt compelled to tackle the life of a privileged son of a former president whose intellectual prowess failed him in his role as a father, husband and as a leader who could have done so much more to promote and secure the abolition of slavery.

History may have little positive to say about Adams (1767-1848) but Posner’s energetic dialogue, presented with great aplomb by a talented, four-member cast, maintains the action from start to finish, the result being a production well worth the price of admission.

In addition, Posner, following a casting decision recently-employed within today’s theatrical world, allows each of the four actors, Jacqueline Correa, Eric Hissom, Phyllis Kay and Joshua David Robinson, to portray Adams, race and gender notwithstanding — later changing their roles in the portrayal of historical figures of great significance each of whom lived during his lifetime including his wife, Louisa, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and Frederick Douglass.

Native Washingtonian Joshua David Robinson, stellar in his roles as Jackson and the heralded abolitionist Douglass, said his desire to become an actor developed during his youth due to tremendous experiences, opportunities and resources provided by the District and his encouraging family.

“DC is a rich environment and a fertile ground for creativity and debate that has long allowed its youth to take advantage of its resources — from summer camp at the Smithsonian to seeing actors on stage presenting the classics of Shakespeare to musicals like ‘Phantom of the Opera’ which blew my mind when I first saw it as a child at the Kennedy Center,” he said. “Those experiences opened my eyes and my mind in ways that I’m still discovering today.”

“The theater is a place for community — a gathering point where people go to voluntarily have a shared and often emotional experience with strangers. I’ve found this fact to be truly awesome. If actors do their job effectively, the community leaves the theater differently from the way they entered. In ‘JQA,’ the cast is given the opportunity to step into the soul of a white man who profoundly affected this country which each of us call home.”

“I learned a great deal about Adams while preparing for the show. JQA was a fascinating guy and a member of a political dynasty in an era where votes for office were more often argued for than bought. What struck me most about him though was his spirit. He was a man of unimpeachable, unyielding and unforgiving integrity — a quality that allowed him to achieve great heights but also doomed him to a life of little happiness.”

“By changing roles as a cast member, I discovered once again that representation is powerful — in this play it helps claim our shared history. I believe audiences will leave the theatre with a sense that everyone can make a difference in this country and the world and that significance isn’t reserved for only a select few. It’s for all of us.”

Robinson, now living in Brooklyn, said he could have never anticipated being cast as Andrew Jackson, but loved the chance.

“It may not be my dream role, that is, if such a role has even been written — one that I may have to write myself one day — but it was a real pleasure and joy,” he said. “Who would have thought that I’d have the opportunity to explore someone who’s vastly different from me? It was really exciting.”

As for youth who hope to cut their teeth one day as professional thespians, Robinson, who completed studies at NYU in the MFA graduate program, says one has to “love being an actor.”

“There’s no formula for success,” he said. “The truth is you have to understand that being an actor has no guarantees. I have found it to be exhilarating and challenging. But I really can’t express in words how much being an actor means to me, particularly as it has given me the chance to serve as a vehicle for social change. But it’s a sacrifice, not only for the actor but for those who love and care about you. That’s why I am deliberate in the projects I choose. I want to always honor the sacrifices my loved ones and I have made that allowed me to perfect my craft and to pursue my dreams.”

“JQA” continues through April 14 at Arena Stage in Southwest. For tickets, call 202-488-3300 or go to www.arenastage.org.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

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Activism

Griot Theater Company Presents August Wilson’s Work at Annual Oratorical Featuring Black Authors

The performance explores the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson whose 10-play Century Cycle chronicles the African American experience across the 20th century, with each play set in a different decade. “Half a Century” journeys through the final five plays of this monumental cycle, bringing Wilson’s richly woven stories to life in a way that celebrates history, resilience, and the human spirit.

Published

2 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Late playwright August Wilson. Wikipedia photo.

By Godfrey Lee

Griot Theater Company will present their Fifth Annual Oratorical with August Wilson’s “Half a Century,” at the Belrose on 1415 Fifth Ave., in San Rafael near the San Rafael Public Library.

The performance explores the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson whose 10-play Century Cycle chronicles the African American experience across the 20^th century, with each play set in a different decade. “Half a Century” journeys through the final five plays of this monumental cycle, bringing Wilson’s richly woven stories to life in a way that celebrates history, resilience, and the human spirit.

Previous performance highlighting essential Black American authors included Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Lorraine Hansberry with Langston Hughes.

The play will be performed at 3:00. p.m. on Feb. 20, 21, 22, 27, and 28 at 7:00 p.m., and on Feb. 23 at 3:00 p.m.

For more information, go to griottheatercompany.squarespace.com/productions-v2

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Activism

MLK Day of Service Volunteers Make Blankets and Art for Locals in Need

“Everyone has an opportunity to participate,” said Glenda Roberts, kinship support care program manager at CCYSB. “Our nonprofit organization and participants recognize how important it is to give back to the community and this is serving. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, ‘Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.’”

Published

3 months ago

January 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Photo courtesy of the nonprofit.

By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard

The Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau (CCYSB) and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church (BMBC) are collaborating with a team of volunteers for a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Monday, Jan. 20 that will wrap the community’s most vulnerable people in warm blankets and provide them with an uplifting gift of art.

Volunteers will kick off their activities at BMBC at 11 a.m., making blankets for the unhoused people served by the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP) and art for those in convalescence in Richmond.

Others will get to work preparing a lunch of chili, salad, a veggie tray, and water for participants, offered courtesy of CCYSB, while supplies last.

“People of all ages are welcome to participate in the MLK Day of Service,” said Roberts. Volunteers can RSVP via phone to Glenda Roberts at 510-215-4670, ext. 125.

CCYSB Boardmember Jackie Marston and her friends donated the materials and supplies to make the blankets and art projects. The nonprofit is also providing the day’s complimentary lunch, as well as employees to volunteer, under the direction of CCYSB Executive Director Marena Brown.

BMBC, led by Rev. Dr. Carole McKindley-Alvarez, is providing the facility for the event and volunteers from the church, which is located at 684 Juliga Woods St. in Richmond.

Located in Richmond, CCYSB is a nonprofit youth advocacy organization that serves eligible children, youth, and low-income families with a variety of wraparound services so they can thrive. Programs include academic achievement, youth mentorship, truancy prevention and direct response.

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Art

Vandalism at Richmond Ferry Terminal Saddens Residents

Residents have been lamenting the destruction online. Ellen Seskin posted photos of the vandalism to the Facebook group, Everybody’s Richmond, on Jan. 12, saying she encountered it while out on a walk. “It was on the sidewalk, the street, the doors to the ferry, even in the art installation and the ‘stone’ benches,” she said. “I reported it but knowing how slow they are about getting things done — I just know that the longer you leave graffiti, the more likely they are to spray it again.”

Published

3 months ago

January 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Graffiti mars the walkway at the Richmond Ferry Terminal. Photo by Kathy Chouteau, The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

“This is why we can’t have nice things,” stated the post on NextDoor.

The post referenced images of graffiti at the Richmond Ferry Terminal. Not just on the terminal, but also on public artwork, on trail signs, on public benches and the boardwalk.

On Wednesday, the Standard stopped by to see it for ourselves. The good news was that it appears the graffiti on the terminal and on the artwork, called Changing Tide, have been cleaned for the most part. But graffiti remained abundant in the area around the relatively new ferry terminal, which opened to the public just six years ago.

Graffiti artists tagged benches and the boardwalk. Cars that had done doughnuts in the street marked the cul-de-sac just outside the historic Craneway Pavilion.

A ferry worker told us the graffiti had been there since before he started working for the ferry service about a week ago.

A member of the Army Corps of Engineers who did not want to be named in this report called the scene “sad,” as “they’d done such a nice job fixing it up.”

“It’s sad that all this money has been spent and hoodlums just don’t care and are destroying stuff,” he said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how soon the graffiti would be removed. The Standard reported the graffiti to the city’s graffiti abatement hotline. We were prompted to leave a message reporting the address and location of the graffiti.

“It was on the sidewalk, the street, the doors to the ferry, even in the art installation and the ‘stone’ benches,” she said. “I reported it but knowing how slow they are about getting things done — I just know that the longer you leave graffiti, the more likely they are to spray it again.”

In the comment section responding to Seskin’s post, local attorney Daniel Butt questioned why there aren’t cameras in the area.

On Nextdoor, one resident suggested searching to see if the tags match any accounts on Instagram, hoping to identify the perpetrator.

On its website, the City of Richmond says residents should graffiti immediately call Public Works graffiti removal and/or Code Enforcement at 510-965-4905.

Kathy Chouteau contributed to this report.