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Southsider2k12
post Aug 1 2007, 12:02 PM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=50441.03

QUOTE
H.O.P.E. Holding Play
Dinner-theater will mark first event since death of Becky Williams.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, Michigan City! Wake up!"

The Voices of Reason issues that alarm several times in the Helping Our People Excel Summer Camp Dinner Theater event, "Freedom Story ... Breaking the Chains."

The three voices, played by Demetrius Wood, 16, Carnessa Carnes, an employee of H.O.P.E. and Dominic Day, a teacher at Elston Middle School, hope to reach people before they make life-altering mistakes. They warn against drug abuse, drug dealing and against disrespecting self and community.

Toni Simpson, who produces theater with young people across the country, wrote the play for these 80 young people and adults.

"I wanted young people think about all the freedoms people come to America seeking," said Simpson, who comes every day from Gary.

The first scenes are set in 1865, after the Emancipation Proclamation and after the Civil War, but for blacks, freedom wasn't there yet. The Black Codes, for example, were in place to control and deny the newly-won freedoms of former slaves.

That scene refers to "these yet-to-be United States." Young people and adults need to understand a difficult truth, Simpson said. "Freedom is not free."

In other scenes, young people misuse freedom of speech to trash talk and disrespect themselves, their family members and the concept of freedom.

The fast-paced production speaks to values and issues young people need to contemplate, Simpson said. She writes the plays only after she meets the young people from the H.O.P.E. Summer camp.

"I want to see who they are and what they're dealing with."

This year, they're dealing with the death of Rebecca Williams, who founded the program in 1990 and served as executive director. Work on the play began before Williams died. Now, Williams herself will appear in the production via video.

"We're dedicating this to Becky's memory," Simpson said

Carnessa Carnes, a student majoring in fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago, is also a team leader at H.O.P.E. She takes her responsibilities there seriously, said Simpson. "This has been one tough summer," she admitted.

Patricia Jones, formerly office manager at H.O.P.E., now is interim director. Jones said proceeds from the dinner-theater will be used to finance a trip to Ohio, to visit the National Underground Railroad Museum, the Harriett Beecher Stowe house, and the National Afro-American Museum.

The dinner theater is Saturday and Sunday in the gymnasium at the H.O.P.E. Cultural Center, 222 McClelland Ave. The gym will be air-conditioned with floor units. On Saturday, doors open at 4:30 p.m., dinner begins at 5 p.m. the performance is at 7 p.m. On Sunday, doors open at 2:30 p.m., dinner is at 3 p.m. and the performance is at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.



Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.
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