Welcome! Thank you for joining us in celebrating 40 years of Gospel on Stage. In retrospect, it has been an amazing journey. Many well-meaning but sightless critics said, “You should be further with your theater company than you are by now. All of these years and you’re still small time at a community center? You should be like some of the other big names.”
I have nearly forgotten when we were in the city off-Broadway in the 80’s, or when we performed in Washington, D.C. at a church where the President of the U. S. worshipped. But I will always remember when a grateful mother thanked us for keeping her teen off the streets, and when a gang member broke down in tears with remorse one night at rehearsal, or the guy with a history of drugs and incarceration who began writing and producing plays after participating in our program, or the boy who was short for his age and an outcast at school told us he finally found a place where he could belong, or the little boy who at nine years old absorbed every summer with us in Theater Camp, graduated college, and who directed this play as Dr. Ashton N. Bell.
And how could I ever thank God enough for the quiet young lady who was more comfortable working backstage and who never complained if others became the star. She found her gift of dance, choregraphed this show and is an amazing choreographer for many companies. She is co-director of “The Hypocrites”, she is creative with graphics, a genius in arts and crafts, and is standing on my shoulders with new vision for Sisters’ Circle, Inc.
I am so godly proud of my daughter, Dana Thomas-Haggood.
Perhaps we have flown under the radar of fame, but each time a life is changed with positive influence, we have experienced success.
We will also celebrate others who passionately impact our community. They may not sing, dance, or use the arts in any manner. But their gifts contain knowledge, wisdom, generosity,
and altruism. They have positions and they use them well.
Again, thank you for being a part of this great evening!
Elaine L. Petry
