“I was co-starring in Leroi Jones (later Amiri Baraka’s) brilliant play “Dutchman”, a smash hit Off-Broadway. The cast, director and playwright were invited to the 1964 World Theatre Festival happening in West Berlin Germany, my first international acting journey. Leroi, Jennifer West, and director Ed Parone were there to perform the play and participate in many panel discussions. However, In the evenings Jennifer, Leroi and I were allowed to cross through the infamous Berlin Wall (manned and gun guarded checkpoint) between Communist East Berlin and our host West Berlin.
Every night for a week I saw five different plays presented by (and still my belief) the greatest theatre ensemble company in the world, Bertolt Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble Company. I’ve never been so moved in a theatre, sitting and watching fifteen brilliant actors performing five different plays (same actors, playing different roles) night after night. It blew my mind! So three years later when Douglas, Gerald and I created the now world famous Negro Ensemble Company. I totally convinced my two partners our new company’s LOGO had to resemble the amazing Berliner Ensemble Company’s LOGO…AND HERE YOU HAVE IT!! And it makes me very proud!”
NEGRO ENSEMBLE COMPANY documentary 1 of 3
Negro Ensemble Company documentary 2 of 3
Negro Ensemble Company documentary 3 of 3
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A friend asked what were some of the important theatre awards the world-famous Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) had garnered over the years. Well, here’s an early list I have on hand. However, there are several more prestigious theatre Awards not included here, that were bestowed on NEC into the 21st century. Trust me, no other Black American theatre company has such a list.
While “Happy Ending” & “Day of Absence” were not produced by the NEC until the 1969-70 season, MY INDEPENDENT 1965 PRODUCTION OF THEM led to the creation of the NEC in 1967.
“A piece of important Black history… These two brilliant one-act plays were solely responsible for the creation of the world-famous Negro Ensemble Company!… And also influenced and fueled the beginning of the Black Theatre Movement in America!”
“Day of Absence“ by the late, great Douglas Turner Ward. “Absence” and its companion piece “Happy Ending” (circa 1965,) were the two plays that led to the creation of the famed Negro Ensemble Company TWO YEARS LATER. Here, in whiteface, are characters John and Mary, me, and the brilliant artist Barbara Ann Teer. Happy Ending and Day of Absence left audiences howling with laughter, but getting Ward’s message regarding white prejudice in America!
This is the play that started it all! ..The movement that is! “1965: This is from my production of “Happy Ending” (with its hilarious satirical companion play “Day of Absence”) by Douglas Turner Ward that was the true genesis for the creation – in 1967 – of the now legendary Black theatre institution The Negro Ensemble Company. The seed was planted three years before this when I created my very first theatre company – The Group Theatre Workshop (GTW, a company of young, aspiring New York actors, dancers, writers, and theatre designers) out of my Chelsea apartment where they did scene study, movement and other daily workshops. (I was soon evicted for tearing down a wall to create a stage for them!) All while I was performing in “Dutchman” at the time. In this scene from Happy Ending are Me, Douglas, Esther Rolle, and Frances Foster! An amazing beginning to a historic Black theatre movement in America!“
“Here are scenes from the rarely seen film “Sweet Love Bitter“, ( adapted from the John Williams novel “Night Sing” ) circa 1967. The story of Jazz great Charlie Parker and his relationships outside of his brilliant alto sax greatness in the jazz world. How this wonderful Herb Danska directed film escaped recognition on the recent Documentary on comedian Dick Gregory is a mystery to me. Gregory brilliantly portrayed the tortured Charlie Parker. I played the Miles Davis character and Bird’s best friend in the film. In addition to Dick Gregory and me, the film also included Don Murray, Diane Varsi, and Jerri Archer. Music by Mal Waldron and Chick Corea, A recent documentary on Dick Gregory completely leaves out any mention of this amazing dramatic film performance, yet it shows Gregory in a silly comedy role as a bathroom towel valet from a comedy film he did later in his career. But I was proud to share the screen with this incredible artist and political activist Dick Gregory!”
Sweet Love, Bitter (aka It Won’t Rub Off, Baby!) (1967) Jazz Noir.
