Monday, August 24, 2015

PHOTOS: 14th Biennial National Black Theatre Festival, Co-Chaired by Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan

Emmy-winning All My Children stars Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan served as co-shares for the National Black Theatre Festival. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
The 14th Biennial National Black Theatre Festival, an international celebration and reunion of spirit, was held August 3-8, 2015 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, produced by The North Carolina Black Repertory Comapny, Inc. NBTF co-chairs (and All My Children legends) Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams led the celebrity procession on opening night, which included a gala dinner and awards presentation, followed by a week filled with plays, workshops and much more with.

The star-studded festival included participation from many familiar faces from the world of daytime soap operas, including Taurean Blacque (Henry Marshall, Generations), Norm Lewis (Keith McLean, All My Children), Andre De Shields (Marshall Lincoln Kramer III, Another World), Micki Grant (Peggy Harris Nolan, Another World – one of first black contract players - along with roles in All My Children, Guiding Light, Somerset and The Edge of Night), Lamman Rucker (T. Marshall Travers, As the World Turns - along with roles on All My Children and The Young and the Restless); Chrystee Pharris (Simone Russell, Passions - currently starring in Queens of Drama), Ted Lange (Love Boat star who played a judge on General Hospital), Timothy Stickney (RJ Gannon, One Life to Live), Jackee Harry (Lily Mason, Another World); Count Stovall (Roy Franklin, As the World Turns; Cal Cummings, All My Children; Hank Chambers, The Doctors) and Roscoe Orman (Sesame Street's Gordon who once played Tyrone on All My Children).

Check out photos from the festival below:

All My Children's "Angie and Jessie" (Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams) reunited recently at the NBTF. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Count Stovall and Jackee Harry. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan and attendees of the 14th Biennial NBTF. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Ted Lange, Chrystee Pharris and cast perform in Lange's "The Journals of Osborne P. Anderson" at The National Black Theatre Festival. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Original Generations star Taurean Blacque.  Fans have been making noise on social media in recent months about their desire for a Generations comeback.  Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Count Stovall, Andre De Shields and Bill Cobbs. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Count Stovall led a workshop that included Chrystee Pharris and Lamman Rucker. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos
Ted Lange and Chrystee Pharris. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

The North Carolina Black Repertory Company’s (NCBRC) mission is to preserve, promote, and present quality professional black theatre to diverse audiences by illuminating cultural traditions and universal themes. The company’s biennial outreach program, the National Black Theatre Festival, serves to unite national and international theatre companies in order to ensure Black Theatre’s cherished dream of longevity.

3 comments:

  1. In the 2nd to last photograph, the lady next to Count Stovall, didn't she appear on Y&R as a cop in the 1980s? I was very young, but I have vague memories of her because she had amazing eyes (lol). Kind of like how I vaguely remember the actress who played James Stenbeck's sister Ariel on ATWT.
    It's great that they all got together, would love to see many more underrated soap characters and stars present themselves along with the big stars who get all the notice.

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  2. Fay Hauser is her name! I was kinda hoping they'd use her to portray Tyler (the eyes) and Leslie's Mom, even if only in flashbacks but Y&R basically disposed of those characters. Still great to see her and all the previous daytime characters. And Lamman is still gorgeous!

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  3. Thank you for the coverage of the event and the photos. It felt good to reminisce with "old friends."

    Debbi still looks fabulous!

    And, yes, Lamman is still gorgeous!

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