Sat December 8th was a great opportunity for 7 IPC alumni to reconnect and share the experience of witnessing the arrival of the talented Daniel Beaty to Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. Crossroads Theatre which sits on Livingston St in downtown New Brunswick, is nation's premiere African American theater and recipient of the 1999 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in the United States. One of our very own, Dick Nurse '61 was an Executive Director for Crossroads and was there to partake in the events that evening.
I think I can speak for everyone present when I say I was very much impressed by Mr. Beaty's ability to draw me into this colorful story with nothing more than his extraordinary talent for reflecting a mirage of personalities through nothing more than shifts in vocal tone and body movements. The show, which was done in all one seating had no physical change of stage setting or costumes, yet the audience had no problem following the scene transitions. Each character Mr. Beaty presented had his/her own internal battle going own or a familiar obstacle to overcome which we as Black people have probably seen in ourselves or a close loved one. The story line, which I won't give away brought out a range of emotions from the audience with each new character that was introduced. I found that Mr. Beaty's overall message was one of Acceptance and Pride. Acceptance of who were are and Pride for what we have come from and been through and the importance of not losing sight of that as we move forward as a people.
The event was followed up by a pleasant dinner at Delta's, a Black owned and operated establishment located at 19 Dennis St. The live music and nicely decorated two-story red brick building had just the right atmosphere to compliment the well prepared southern dishes on their menu. I definitely recommend you check out the talented Mr. Beaty when he comes to a city near you as well as Delta's Restaurant the next time you're near the New Brunswick area.
-K.Jackson
http://www.danielbeaty.com/
http://www.deltasrestaurant.com
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