By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Chameshia M. Coplon (she plays the role of Celie).
Rivertowne Players, as part of the celebration of Black History Month in the City of New Bern, is presenting The Color Purple: The Musical, opening on January 26th.
The Color Purple: The Musical is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discovers her unique voice in the world.
This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (and the popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights the story of Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over 40 years forms the arc of this epic story.
With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music, and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life.
Director D’nadre Bell, who is originally from New Bern, was raised in a military family and has traveled extensively. As a young man, he wanted to be a doctor, much to the pleasure of his parents, but after he performed in his first musical with New Bern Civic Theatre, his entire life changed.
“Most of my training came through New Bern Civic Theatre with the Saax Bradbury program. It changed my trajectory in terms of what I wanted to do with my life,” says D’nadre. “I became a musician and immersed myself in theatre. I earned degrees in Music Education at Craven Community College and Eastern Carolina University and then started teaching at St. Paul Catholic School. Over the years, I worked at the Civic, Rivertowne, and New Bern High School. As time went on, I branched out to regional theatre in Fayetteville, Theatre Raleigh, and Theatre Charlotte.”
As time went on, D’nadre began to combine his love of theatre with his spiritual passions. “I began working with Sight and Sound in Lancaster, PA, creating performances that bring the bible to life,” he says. “On a giant stage, I was able to mold both things I’m most passionate about—Jesus and Theatre. Afterward, I moved on to Branson, MO, and then worked with Royal Caribbean as a featured vocalist and headliner. I am now the Executive Director of Abundant Life Community Services. The organization has been in place for 23 years. It started as a food pantry, after-school program, and parent support program. Our goal is to create resilient communities one family at a time, focusing on the community, and not just the individual. We provide tools to overcome challenges.”
The Color Purple premiered at the Alliance Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and opened on Broadway on November 1, 2005. The musical was nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. The London off-West End production opened on Broadway in 2015, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The musical was produced on Broadway by Oprah Winfrey and others.
In addition to Director D’Nadre Bell, our local production at Rivertowne Players is supported by Assistant Director Pre-Ah Hill, Music Director Dr. Brandon Banks, Choreographer Jimia Brown and Producer Regina Ruisi.
“I joined the Board of Directors for Rivertowne Players with a goal for inclusive and diverse theatre in New Bern,” say D’Nadre. “Theatre was always meant to be a space that reflects the diversity of the community. Growing up as a young black man, I didn’t feel that we had a space in traditional stories as black artists in our local theatre. Now, I want to work on inclusivity on purpose, and not just in February. I also want to send out a message that if you feel under-represented as an artist in New Bern, then come join us in the theatre community. You are welcome and heard here.”
According to D’Nadre, The Color Purple Musical, is a story of black lives, but it is also a people-story. “This is a story of a fourteen to thirty year-old black woman. Her problems are things we can see and understand, that we deal with ourselves. It is a testament to how similar we are, how we can relate to each other—and the struggles very real.”
Throughout the rehearsal process, D’Nadre has provided time for the actors to explore the depths of the characters.
“The characters are very complex. As part of our process, we have taken moments to talk and dig deep in rehearsal. We’ve all cried together. We’ve worked through some of our pain and memories, integrated the living word of the Bible, and have come to see another perspective,” he says.
As part of the exploration, the director and actors have come to realizations with the characters: Mister is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations; Shug is under the pressure of perception of what you are versus what you seem; Sophia seems to be only brute strength for everybody but struggles with fear, and the protagonist, Celie, is a pillar of submissive strength. She has to live with her stepfather and all the pain that comes with it. But she continues, protecting her sister Nettie, her children that were stolen from her, and ultimately takes the road less taken, she turns the other cheek and lives up to the Christian ideal.
According to Chameshia Coplon, who plays the leading role of Celie, “We hope audiences take away ‘hope’ from his show. Hope in the journey of life and where it will take you and hope in yourself—to know that you have everything you need inside of you.”
Hermione Samson plays Sophia and says, “This cast is amazing because the show, the music, and the process has become somewhat of a healing journey. We all can see ourselves in these characters so we bring a level of personal experience. We hope audiences will tap into that and have their own journeys.”
Yvvone Wilson who plays Shug comments that “The diversity of this cast and crew has been amazing. We’ve bonded so well and our Directors D’Nadre and Pre-ah.”
“The women in The Color Purple are a story of endurance and inequality of black women,” says D’Nadre. “I know this story. My mother raised five kids on her own. I empathize with victimization and abuse. And at the same time, I empathize with Mister. He is a product of his environment. He tells us that he was beaten by his Dad, his wife died, his crops died, and he struggled. He grew up in a family that was not loving, and was verbally abused, and he had negative patterns in his life. It is part of his history, and his pain creates a connection between the past and the present. The characters in this play deal with their issues, sort them out, and then we see a change. He accepts blame. He is healed, and then he becomes the person he is meant to be. This progress allows all of us to see that abusers are usually products of abuse themselves.”