Broadway Maybe Closed, But Good Harlem Theatre is Alive and Well in Manhattan

Although the stagehand strike has put the breaks on Broadway Theatre, in New York City, some Liberata Dance Theatre (LDT) board members spent a wonderful afternoon at the theatre in upper Manhattan. Written by Playwright Yusef Salaam and directed by David Sheppard, "The Devil and Elija Muhammed" opened yesterday with outstanding performances presented by the H.A.D.LE.Y. Players.

This excellent play was Attended by LDT Founders Sam Sherrod and Myrena Sint Jago-Sherrod, along with board member Carl E. Reid, publisher of the Savvy Intrapreneur newsletter blog.

Eldon Bullock gave a very compelling performance emulating detailed mannerisms, in the lead role of The Honorable Elijah Muhammed. Eldon brought inciteful perspective, with his role, in vividly presenting the inner turmoils experienced by The Honorable Elijah Muhammed, including his unspoken respect for Malcolm X, since their split.

The entire play covers 2 winter days in the life of The Honorable Elijah Muhammed, using his office as a backdrop to give the audience a different perspective of the inner workings of The Nation of Islam at that time.

Overall, the timing and excecution of the various characters continuously engaged the audience. The actors provided thought provoking performances with pointed questions by Ali Abdullah (played by Tom Gordon), being demurely defensive when Sister Maryum (Angela Sims) has her integrity is questioned, office procedures being subversively disrupted by Samuel X (Albert Eggleston III), conscientious attention to security details by Captain Raymond Shariff (Tom Martin) and deflecting allegations of mistrust by Reverend Lillian Jones (Georgi Page).

The sleeper role of Washington X was powerfully brought to life with an excellent performance by Ron Wilks.

"The Devil and Elijah Muhammed" is a must see for serious theatre afficianados to put on their "to do" list before the last performance on Decmeber 9, 2007.

------------------------------
Select performances of "The Devil and Elijah Muhammed" run until December 9, 2007 on Friday and Saturday at 7:30PM - Sunday at 4:00PM
*** No Performances Thanksgiving Weekend ***

Location:
North Presbyterian Church
529 155th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avennue)

Tickets:
$20 General Admission
$18 for Seniors / Students

About the H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players
Founded by Gertrude Jeannette, the mission of the Harlem Artists Development League Especially For You, a.k.a. The H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players, is to present professional theatrical productions, to provide artists who are not regularly employed an opportunity to sharpen their crafts and to develop new talent. Our 365 performance will reflect decades of achieving these goals.

Call The H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players at: (212) 368-9314 or (212) 926-0281.
For more information email hadleyplayers@yahoo.com

LDT's Fundraising Event

Contact: Sam Sherrod
Liberata Dance Theatre
Phone: (866) 249-2437
Fax: (866) 249-2437
Curaterra@aol.com
www.LiberataDT.org
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2007:


Through high impact performances an ordinary evening of wine, cheese and networking produced an extraordinary awareness of social, environmental and global issues affecting the world community, Liberata Dance Theatre held its 1st annual fundraiser in the penthouse of Local 1199/SEIU in the McGraw-Hill Building. The Liberata Dance Theatre’s U.S. board of directors hosted this excellent event on Tuesday, October 23, 2007.



The atmosphere was charged with suspense. Initially attendees seemed not to know what to expect from what appeared to be an ordinary fund-raising event. A combination of the exciting view of the New York City night skyline, noshing food provided by sponsors Murray’s Cheese located at 254 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014 Amy’s Bread located at 75 Ninth Avenue and wine from The 34th Street Winery 460 West 34th Street, synergized by the outstanding performances by the Liberata performers, changed everyone’s outlook and brought joy and expressions of exhilaration as evidenced by the following statements:

"I had a wonderful time! It was an enlightening experience to feel the rhythm of the drums, to hear the emotion in the performers voices, and to watch the stories unfold as they were being told through the dances. Liberata made me a believer and I will definitely attend the next performance!" stated Dr. Akim Jones, Co-founder of Urban Oasis Spa located in White Plains, NY. Urban Oasis Spa also sponsored the event by donating gift certificates.


The high impact performance at this exclusive “invitation only” event was directed by Ward Nixon, a seasoned Actor, Director and Acting Coach. Ward’s acting experience was immediately obvious. He captivated the audience with his story telling ability, while playing the part of an investigative journalist reporting on the inequalities of the human condition throughout the world.



“Thank you for the privilege of experiencing the Liberata Dance Theater. I was overcome by the joyful message of "oneness" and reverence for our environment." said Marion Green, Producer of The Lush Life, a cable television show that highlights the accomplishments of people in the Montclair N.J. community. Marion was also a volunteer at the event.


The master of ceremonies, Carl E. Reid, CEO/Founder of NetTECH Systems and publisher of the Savvy Intrapreneur newsletter blog, introduced the other Liberata U.S. board members Rose Crayton, retired adult educator and CUNY Adjunct, Carolynn See Yuen, Liberata performer and Entertainment Manager, Yveline Mcintosh, CEO of Yveline’s Travel Services, James M. Ernest an actor of stage, screen and television who also works in the human services field as a recreation therapist.

Jason Thigpen, Co-Owner of J and L Goods stated "Thank you so much for inviting Leandra and I to the LDT event. The night was full of culture, great people, and networking. I know J and L Goods will benefit tremendously from the connections we made and the information learned through LDT’s performance. We look forward to attending the next event."



Activities throughout the evening were deftly facilitated through the seamless collaborative efforts of volunteers, who professionally greeted attendees and provided a program, James M. Ernest, Liberata board member and wine server, Danielle Tyler, videographer volunteered her services, Phyllis Shelton, CEO of iPower Global Solutions was the hospitality host, insuring attendees were comfortable, other volunteers include: Althea Bryan, Sharon Quinones, Michelle Chery, Denworh Billy, CEO of Bolt Consulting Solutions LLC and Carl Schmidt who is an accountant for the state of California.



Additional sponsors who contributed to the door prizes were iPower Global Solutions, Jason and Leandra of J and L Gifts and Materials for the Arts, New York City Dept. of Cultural Affairs/NYC Dept. of Sanitation/NYC Dept. of Education.




About Liberata Dance Theatre
As a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Liberata Dance Theatre, Inc. was formed to provide dance and theatre works with themes created mainly from Caribbean, African and African-American rich history and culture to the people in the U.S.A., The Caribbean Islands and international countries. LDT presents unique "high impact" works, which raise awareness of various social, environmental and global issues that are affecting everyone.

Liberata Dance Theatre is the brainchild of President and Artistic Director, Myrena Sint Jago, who co-founded this not-for-profit organization with husband and business partner, Sam Sherrod, who is also secretary and treasurer on Liberata Dance Theatre’s U.S. board of directors.

Tel: (866) 249-2437
Email: Curaterra@aol.com
Web: www.LiberatDT.org