The Pub Report

Reshanda Henderson is not one to shy away from sharing some of her experiences in life that has been the fuel for her plays. But with her most recent thrilling production, “The Mr. The Mrs. and The Lover”, it is only a wonder just how much of these experiences could have been the creative force behind the many highly unexpected plots and issues encompassing the union of marriage that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. The play, starring Tiffany Torrence-Davis from The Bad Girls Club (Season 3) also boasts a diverse cast full of reality show fresh faces that put on a stellar performance. Davis, who states she identifies with the “spunkiness” of her character, also reveals that she was “amazed” with the writing and the depths of the characters.

Mrs. Henderson reveals the triangles of marriage and love is tested beyond the borders of despair.

LM: You have been coined as “The Queen of Urban Theater”…Tell me how you got started into theater and why playwriting?

RH: When I was younger when I was 9 years old. When I had bad experiences, I just started writing everything down. That was my way out of everything coming out. It was a healing process for me. I decided to put it on stage and let people know that you can come out of whatever you’ve been through. Writing was an outlet. My connection with the stage is I love making people laugh. I love people coming together and coming out. I love the stage presence the music the acting its totally different from film. You get that immediate response back from theater.

LM: About the play, “The Mr. The Mrs. and the Lover”, what was the inspiration behind this production?

RH: I have a heart for marriage. I got married at a young age at 18 and had some tough experiences and in that I learned…you have to be careful in that it is sacred. You have to work through some things. In the play there are three marriages where there is a lot to be tested and in the end love conquers all. In everything that we do there are reasons why we do the things that we do. The play has a lot of twists and turns and unexpectedness that people just would not expect.

LM: The cast seems to be a great mix from reality stars to local theater actors how did you garner such a diverse cast?

RH: I decided to get people that would draw attention and the reality shows have been getting a lot of attention. With this cast, I watched a lot of reality shows and saw that theater in them.

LM: What have been some challenges that you have come across as a black playwright?

RH: One of the main challenges was finding it hard for people to support and believe in your vision. It is so much that is going on it is hard to get people to come out support. I’m not one that writes something and is quick to throw it out there. I work really hard and find it hard that our people cannot support each other esp. when we are trying to do something positive. Chicago is my hometown and the hardest to get people to support you, but when it comes to Chicago I can’t grasp it to save my life why we can’t support each other. It’s so much talent here in Chicago but the support is terrible.

LM: What would be some tips for those who are interested in pursuing a dream or career in playwriting?

RH: The one thing that I can say is that you really work hard in what you believe. Even when it looks like it doesn’t look like it isn’t going anywhere. I know deep down inside that this is what I was put on this earth to do. You can give up and keep going and I stand on that. When a show doesn’t sell out do I quit? No I keep going because this wouldn’t be my calling if it weren’t. And I keep God first and foremost in everything that I do.

LM: What is up coming for you in t?

RH: Getting ready to do a mini tour…taking the play (The Mr., the Mrs. & The Lover) to different areas in Chicago (upcoming…Kennedy King College). And then take it to different cities. Really trying to focus on Chicago in hopes that they are open minded in supporting.

www.reshandahenderson.com

http://xpressyoselftheatre.com/default.aspx

The Celebration Weekend Includes an Array of Star-Studded and Community Events

The dream began in Canton, OH and now Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Sr., and Eric Nolan Grant, known collectively as The O’Jays, return to their hometown of Canton, OH to host the Fifth Annual O’Jays Celebration Weekend & Scholarship Fund, August 15-17, 2009. The community-oriented celebration weekend will be star-studded and bring a festive presence to the city of Canton.

The 3-day celebration will feature a scholarship benefit concert, a scholarship banquet at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a golf tournament at the historic Clearview Golf Course, and the O’Jays Family Reunion - an open-to-the-public “family-reunion-style” gathering feature a parade, a youth basketball tournament, rides and games for children, food vendors, and entertainment by various local talent at the O’Jays Parkway in Northeast Canton (detailed schedule of events is attached).

The O’Jays Celebration Weekend & Scholarship Fund event will attract local and national media, celebrities, VIPs and bring the community together. Confirmed guests include; The O’Jays, Willie Gary (Esq., Attorney), Lorenzo Williams (Esq., Attorney), Sam Jones (NBA legend), Omarosa (The Apprentice), Tom Joyner (radio personality), Donna Richardson Joyner (actress), Kiki Sheppard (actress), and Sidney Miller (BRE Magazine).

Over the past four years a total of thirteen Stark County residents at both traditional (high school seniors) and non-traditional (local community college attendees) students have received scholarship of $2,000 each.

2009 marks the fourth year since the inception of the scholarship fund which has raised over $200,000 with support of such contributors as The Timken Company, Aultman Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Joy 1520 AM, A.B.L.E. Inc., Outback Steakhouse, Fifth Third Bank, The Timken Foundation, Steve and Sondra Perry, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Canton Negro Oldtimers Association.

The O’Jays successful career spans over 50 years with 10 gold, nine platinum albums and a Rock and Roll and Grammy Hall of Fame induction to their credit. They are one of the most vital and beloved R&B vocal groups of all time. Now in their 50th year making music, The O’Jays have released over 25 albums, their hit song, “For the Love of Money” is the theme song for the popular Apprentice Show with Donald Trump. Most recently, The O’Jays were awarded the BET 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award and continues to tour and perform before sold out audiences around the world. And it all started right in Canton, OH.

For more information contact: Stan Williams, Chairman of ” O’Jays Celebration Weekend & Scholarship Fund ” at 330.497.2077 or stanley.williams@timken.com

E. Lynn Harris, a pioneer of gay black fiction and a literary entrepreneur who rose from self-publishing to best-selling status died of Thursday night. Insiders believe a heart attack is the possible cause of death. He was 54.

His Laura Gilmore said Harris fell ill on a train to Los Angeles and blacked out for a few minutes, but seemed fine after that.

His writing fell into several genres, including gay and lesbian fiction, African American fiction and urban fiction. But he found success in showing readers a new side of African American life: the secret world of professional, bisexual black men living as heterosexuals. Harris published 11 novels, 10 of which were on The New York Times best-seller list. There are over 4 million copies of his books in print, according to his publisher, Doubleday. His 1994 debut, “Invisible Life,” was a coming-of-age story that dealt with the then-taboo topic.

Photo by KenthePhotographer

On the heels of releasing their most important issue ever, the double-cover Commemorative Michael Jackson Tribute Edition, Hip Hop Weekly magazine publishers Dave Mays and Ray Benzino were recently acknowledged with the award for “Best Magazine” at the Urban Music Awards in New York. Hip Hop Weekly beat out The Source, Vibe, and XXL, all long-time urban mainstays. The award comes just two years after Hip Hop Weekly was named one of the “15 Hottest Magazine Launches” in 2007 by prestigious media industry authority “MIN.” The Urban Music Awards honor marks Hip Hop Weekly’s emergence in 2009 as the leader of the “next generation” in print media for a consumer market that has broadened and matured as hip hop has become a mainstream, worldwide culture.

This year’s Urban Music Awards USA ceremony was held July 17 at the renowned Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Hip Hop Weekly was nominated by over 2 million fans worldwide for submission into the Best Magazine category. Editor-at-large Cynthia Horner and Style/Creative Editor TJ Rudy were on-hand to accept the award at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

“We are proud that the world’s first celebrity weekly-format magazine for the hip hop community has been acknowledged as the Best Magazine of 2009, just two and a half years after our launch,” said David Mays, Hip Hop Weekly’s publisher and co-founder. “The ongoing and explosive growth of Hip Hop Weekly during what may be the worst climate in the history of magazine publishing, is a strong testament to the validity and groundbreaking nature of our innovative format and journalistic approach. I would like to acknowledge our entire Hip Hop Weekly staff for their contributions in consistently delivering relevant, informative and entertaining content to the mainstream hip hop audience.”

Hip Hop Weekly (www.HipHopWeekly.com) currently ranks as one of the 10 best-selling magazines nationally in the 7-Eleven chain out of over 65 titles, and the magazine was recently added by Walmart to over 3,000 magazine pockets at cash registers in the front of their stores.

The co-founders of The Source Magazine in 1988, David Mays and Ray Benzino developed The Source into the #1-selling music magazine on newsstands in the world in the 1990’s. The team of Mays and Benzino would go on to be recognized for their innovation in building a stable of media companies around The Source name, establishing one of the best known brands in the media business through their successful ventures in television, music, merchandising, and mobile content downloads. They produced some of the highest-rated TV programs for a hip-hop audience ever, including the 2004 broadcast of The Source Awards which ranks as the 6th highest rated show in the history of the BET network. The Source presents Hip Hop Hits became the most successful series of hip hop compilation albums ever, selling over 5 million copies domestically. The Source Mobile division sold over 3 million ringtone downloads in two years. Their efforts in the corporate space were instrumental in taking hip hop into the mainstream, growing the audience and expanding the universe of businesses selling to the coveted, hard-to-reach 18- to 34-year-old market.