‘Turpentine Jake’, A Story of Slavery in 1937 America

We got the mail below inviting us to a play… we can’t make it, but thought we’d pass the info on.  One of the lead actors is a fellow I met on another project. It is he (Derek Shaun) who sent us the e-mail.

OF

” TURPENTINE JAKE “

A STORY OF SLAVERY IN 1937 AMERICA

For tonight ( Thursday, July 31st ) and Sunday, Aug. 3rd, I will be performing in the lead role of Jake, understudying Mr. James E. Hurd. When James is performing as Jake, I will be performing the character of TUSH. I will also send the remaining dates that I will be performing as Jake, in which the character TUSH will then be performed by the multi-talented comedian/actor ElJaye . Thank you all for your continued support. Peace and
blessings always.

D. Shaun

 

Turpentine Jake

by Linda Bannister and James E. Hurd, Jr.

August 1 – 24, 2008
Friday & Saturday at 8:00pm
Sunday at 3:00pm

Del Rey Theatre
Loyola Marymount University
Call (310) 338-7588

Turpentine Jake is a slice-of-life in the Florida Turpentine camps of the 1930s, where Black workers were enslaved under “debt peonage.“ This is the true story of one man who escaped. Play includes original work songs and folk tales.

Tickets & Directions:

  Derek Shaun is a fellow I worked with on another period piece, that one was a film set in the Carolinas also in the nineteen thirties. Derek and the rest of the cast and crew were fine professional and yet fun folks to work with about an emotionally difficult subject, yet one that due to the skills of the writer/director and the professionalism of everyone, we were able to get it done in a fashion I trust will be well received when it is released sometime next year (whew, that’s a long sentence).

   Yeah Derek, I’d love to see the show, you folks go and ‘break a leg’!