March 23, 2016 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
‘Smoldering Fires’ Looks at Civil Rights Past, Celebrates Present
By T. Russell
Special to The Skanner
“
PHOTOS BY SHARON THOMAS
A
lmost 15 years ago,
when she was just
at teenager, Cecile
Evans was teach-
ing CaShawn Hopkins,
who was in her 20s, how
to be a theater stage man-
ager for PassinArt, the
longest running Black
theater company in Ore-
gon.
Evans has been learn-
ing theater management
skills since she was 12
and got her first manage-
ment job at 16 because
of her PassinArt experi-
ence.
“PassinArt has been a
constant in my life,” said
Evans, now age 30. Her
mother, Shelley Mat-
thews, has been a Passi-
nArt actress for over 20
years. “I know it kept me
in a place where I’ve been
able to grow.”
The mission of Passi-
nArt, which was founded
in 1984, is to entertain,
educate and inspire art-
ists and audiences while
Corey (Ajani Hopkins), left, talks with DeShawn (Eric (E.J.) Harris, Jr.)
in a scene from “Smoldering Fires.”
ing Fires,” the latest
PassinArt play, which
opened March 11.
Evans is the top light
technician and her moth-
er, Matthews, has one
of the few adult roles
in the play. In addition,
Hopkins’ son, Ajani, now
age 11, has one of the two
lead roles, along with
so many of the children
who are in the play are in
their first theater roles.
Nine-year-old
Timaya
Hepburn was cast in the
play when she came to an
auditions to support two
of her friends.
“I was the one who got
one of the parts and nei-
ther of them got a part,”
Ronald Smith, Sami Yacob-Andrus, Kobi Flowers and Timaya Hepburn demonstrate for equity in
“Smoldering Fires.”
ing being on stage. She’s
been rehearsing after
school almost every day
of the week, except for
Mondays.
“It’s been progressing
pretty well,” Sami said.
Charelle Twitty, age 39,
was in her first PassinArt
play when she was age 15.
She recently ran into the
costumer for “Smolder-
Smoldering Fires’ honors the young civil rights advocates of yes-
terday, while sending the message that no matter your age you
can take a stand and make a difference in your community today
addressing critical is-
sues facing the Black
community.
The organization’s goal
is to present quality yet
affordable theatrical pro-
ductions, staged read-
ings, and educational
workshops for African
Americans and multi-ra-
cial youth and communi-
ty members in the Port-
land Metropolitan area.
“‘Smoldering
Fires’
honors the young civil
rights advocates of yes-
terday, while sending the
message that no matter
your age you can take a
stand and make a differ-
ence in your community
today,” said PassinArt’s
Co-Founder Constance
Carley.
The currents of Passi-
nArt’s training and influ-
ence ripple through sev-
eral generations of Black
families in Portland. A
few years after Hopkins’
first theater training,
she brought her infant
son, Ajani Hopkins, into
the Interstate Firehouse
Culture Center, where
PassinArt has historical-
ly staged many of its the-
ater productions.
She often strapped
him into his infant seat,
where he slept as she
studied the light cues on
the board at the back of
the theater.
“I love PassinArt,” Hop-
kins said. “It’s always
been family to me.”
Now, she is the stage
manager for “Smolder-
Eric Harris Jr., who plays
his best friend. It is the
first time both boys have
starred in a community
theater production.
“I didn’t know he had
all that in him,” said Hop-
kins, whose 7-year-old
daughter, Amin’a, also
has a small part in the
play. “It’s awesome to
watch.”
Mary Yacob, whose
17-year-old
daughter,
Sami
Yacob-Andrus,
is also in “Smoldering
Fires,” said this play is
the first time her daugh-
ter has participated in
a production that in-
cludes more than one or
two Black actors, though
Sami has acted in short
films, commercials and
other children’s theater
productions. Yacob said
she discovered the “Smol-
dering Fires” call on the
Facebook page of the Re-
gional Arts & Cultural
Center, which is one of
the financial sponsors of
the play, along with the
MRG Foundation.
“I had not up to this
point really seen any
castings for a black the-
ater company,” Yacob
noted. “I didn’t think
there were any in the
area.”
“A lot of plays in Port-
land don’t accept kids,”
she
added.
They’re
geared for 18 and older.”
As “Smoldering Fires”
addresses the role of
children in the 1960s pro-
tests for racial equality,
said Timaya, who is usu-
ally more interested in
gymnastics and basket-
ball. “I went to a couple
plays before and I saw
how you react to some
stuff and speak up and
project, but I’ve never
done any theater before.”
Sami says she is enjoy-
ing Fires” at a communi-
ty event and was invited
to an audition.
‘I was scared,” Twitty
said. “I haven’t been on
stage in over 15 years. I’m
excited and blessed.”
Her 12-year-old daugh-
ter, Destini, also received
a role in the play.
“My daughter said ‘I
don’t know mom, I don’t
want to steal the spot-
light from you.’ “ Twitty
said, laughing. “I said:
‘It’s OK, the spotlight is
big enough for all of us.’”
Destini, a 6th grader,
said she was both excited
and nervous about being
on stage.
“I’ve never been in a
play before,” she says.
“But it’s helping me get
out of my shell a little
more.”
In an era where thou-
sands of Black families
have been pushed out
of their traditional in-
ner Northeast Portland
neighborhood due to
gentrification,
Evans
credits PassinArt as a
stabilizing force that
offers a strong cultural
connection, while train-
ing the next generation
of stage actors, backstage
technicians and theater
lovers.
“I think it’s really ex-
citing that PassinArt has
been able to develop a
culture where both par-
ents and children can be
together and accomplish
the same goal,” Evans
said.
“That’s rare these days
to have something that
you’ve known has been
a fixture in your life for
the past 20 years. That’s a
powerhouse in the Black
community.”
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