Ralph E. Greene, Artistic Director of Unity
Theatre Ensemble, Bonnie Harmon, General Manager and the Ensemble
recently received the prestigious Pathfinder Award, presented
by the President of the Black Theatre Network (BTN), a national
African American Theatre Organization celebrating its seventeenth
year of supporting and promoting, and preserving Black Theatre
through performance on all levels throughout the Diaspora. They
received the Award at BTN's 2004 Conference held at Kent State
University on August 5, along with Karamu House, the oldest African
American theatre producing organization in the country.
According to Greene, "this award was
indeed an honor for us, as we have been working to preserve African
American theater through performance for going on thirty-three
years. We don't have a lot of money, we don't have a permanent
venue, but we have purpose, and that has made the difference.
That is what makes patrons say that they 'experience the difference.'
I think that we are finally getting the national recognition
that we deserve. In August, 2003, we were tapped to perform at
the 14th Bi-annual National Black Theatre Festival for six performances
of our production of Terry McMillan's novel, "Mama,"
to critical acclaim at the North Carolina School of the Arts,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We trust that we can get individual,
corporate and community support to help us to continue our legacy,
especially at a time when African American theaters around the
country are folding because of lack of funding."
We encourage all our patrons, old and new,
to support our next production David Barr and Mamie Till-Mobley's
"The State of Mississippi vs. Emmett Till," to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of Till's death, (February 10-13, 2005).
Unity Theatre Ensemble is supported in part
by grants from the Minority Arts Program of the Missouri Arts
Council, The Regional Arts Commission, and The National Endowment
for the Arts.