By Jay Whipple,
Trend Magazine Online™
Trend Magazine Online™
It did not take
long for this interview to materialize as I received a positive response to my
request not long after speaking with Taylor at the National Black
Theatre in Harlem, New York. She suggested that I forward my initial
email to a Mr. Jonathan McCrory who is the Artistic Director -- since
the fall of 2013. My interest in this particular theatre arose out of my
goal to go behind the scene of one of the popular productions of the biennial National
Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem,
NC. That production is none other than Fried Chicken & Latkes
(Jewish pancakes) which is written and performed by Ms. Rain Pryor;
daughter of comic genius Mr. Richard Pryor (1940 -
2005).
I had a chance meeting with her during the last (2013) National Black
Theatre Festival in Winston, NC. She was literally walking
down the street with a shopping bag outside the Marriott Hotel in Downtown
when I mustered enough nerve to approach her and request a photograph. She very
politely responded that she would after she left her bag at the front desk of
the hotel. I said to myself; yeah right! Well, she kept her word and did return
for that photo and was very cordial during the process. All we have in this
life is our word and any person that keeps theirs is -- in my opinion -- a saint.
Shortly after the photo opts I said to myself that I was going to check out her
play and write about it if it returned to Winston-Salem. Fast forward
two years later and I do indeed plan to attend her one-woman show in early August
− my birth month as well as U.S. Presidents′ Bill Clinton and Barack
Obama. If all goes well you will be able to check out my review in an
upcoming edition of Trend Magazine Onlinetm. My interview
with Jonathan went quite well and I am especially impressed with his
knowledge of history particular concerning the Civil Rights Movement of
the 1960′s which occurred before his birth.
Here is what Jonathan had to say about him and their organization.
I had a chance meeting with her during the last (2013) National Black
Theatre Festival in Winston, NC. She was literally walking
down the street with a shopping bag outside the Marriott Hotel in Downtown
when I mustered enough nerve to approach her and request a photograph. She very
politely responded that she would after she left her bag at the front desk of
the hotel. I said to myself; yeah right! Well, she kept her word and did return
for that photo and was very cordial during the process. All we have in this
life is our word and any person that keeps theirs is -- in my opinion -- a saint.
Shortly after the photo opts I said to myself that I was going to check out her
play and write about it if it returned to Winston-Salem. Fast forward
two years later and I do indeed plan to attend her one-woman show in early August
− my birth month as well as U.S. Presidents′ Bill Clinton and Barack
Obama. If all goes well you will be able to check out my review in an
upcoming edition of Trend Magazine Onlinetm. My interview
with Jonathan went quite well and I am especially impressed with his
knowledge of history particular concerning the Civil Rights Movement of
the 1960′s which occurred before his birth.Here is what Jonathan had to say about him and their organization.
Jay -- What was it like growing up as a young Black/African-American
male in our nation′s capital (Washington, DC)?
Jonathan -- I had a very interesting and powerful way of growing up in D.C. I grew up on the west side and both my parents were accountants. I attended the One Million Man March with my dad [in 1995] and saw how the Black body was positioned. We had a Black Mayor (Marion Berry, Jr. [1936 − 2014]) at the time and I experienced an adverse story of crime and murder as well as a beautiful dance which allowed me to see how Black bodies are positioned in space and power and authority. There was a crack epidemic and because I am a historian I learned about the 1968 riots [after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4].
Jay -- I see that you attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and earned a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degree in Acting and Africana Studies from New York University TISCH School of the Arts; what do you cherish the most about your higher education?
Jonathan -- It gave me the opportunity to hear my own voice, find how I think and operate, absorb different modalities on how to execute different tasks, and to create new pathways. I also like the idea of being taught by Black professors which was a huge impact on me.
Jay -- Are you married?
Jonathan -- No
Jay -- Do you have any children?
Jonathan -- No
Jay -- What are your hobbies?
Jonathan -- I plant seasonal flowers such as roses and impatiens which I learned from spending summers in my grandma′s garden. I also plant herbs and zucchini, and enjoy meditating and biking.
Jay -- You have experience as an actor, director, and producer; which hat do you prefer wearing, and why?
Jonathan -- I like working as a director more than the other spheres. It gives me the opportunity to see someone that I am working with; to see them transform and grow and get to a space of liberation.
Jay -- You began working at the National Black Theatre in Harlem, NY, in the
fall of 2013 and are responsible for the curation and execution of all creative
pragmatic elements, from Symposiums to Production; what does that mean in
laymen′s terms?
Jonathan -- Essentially it is a glorified term for artistic director in partnership with our staff.
Jonathan -- I had a very interesting and powerful way of growing up in D.C. I grew up on the west side and both my parents were accountants. I attended the One Million Man March with my dad [in 1995] and saw how the Black body was positioned. We had a Black Mayor (Marion Berry, Jr. [1936 − 2014]) at the time and I experienced an adverse story of crime and murder as well as a beautiful dance which allowed me to see how Black bodies are positioned in space and power and authority. There was a crack epidemic and because I am a historian I learned about the 1968 riots [after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4].
Jay -- I see that you attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and earned a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degree in Acting and Africana Studies from New York University TISCH School of the Arts; what do you cherish the most about your higher education?
Jonathan -- It gave me the opportunity to hear my own voice, find how I think and operate, absorb different modalities on how to execute different tasks, and to create new pathways. I also like the idea of being taught by Black professors which was a huge impact on me.
Jay -- Are you married?
Jonathan -- No
Jay -- Do you have any children?
Jonathan -- No
Jay -- What are your hobbies?
Jonathan -- I plant seasonal flowers such as roses and impatiens which I learned from spending summers in my grandma′s garden. I also plant herbs and zucchini, and enjoy meditating and biking.
Jay -- You have experience as an actor, director, and producer; which hat do you prefer wearing, and why?
Jonathan -- I like working as a director more than the other spheres. It gives me the opportunity to see someone that I am working with; to see them transform and grow and get to a space of liberation.
Jay -- You began working at the National Black Theatre in Harlem, NY, in the
fall of 2013 and are responsible for the curation and execution of all creative
pragmatic elements, from Symposiums to Production; what does that mean in
laymen′s terms?Jonathan -- Essentially it is a glorified term for artistic director in partnership with our staff.
