It's befitting that this is "LOVE MY SON WEEK" - because I am the proud mom of a very handsome and talented son, Rais "Ra" Wilson. Talented, articulate, creative, tall - of course, I already said "handsome," humorous, among other wonderful attributes (I could go on but that would take up the entire blog). His talents have led him to comedic and dramatic roles, after trying his hand in the realm of musical performances (and he's good at that as well), he's involved in two events on Saturday March 11, along with some very talented, creative, intelligent, articulate sons (and daughters) from some very fine Philadelphia families.
So, whether you come out to see my handsome son (and I hope you will), or to support the other handsome sons (and beautiful daughters) on Saturday, March 11 (which also happens to be my Brother Syl Dulan's birthday - my mother's handsome son) these talented people are putting forth their best to keep you entertained. So come out and enjoy yourselves. The hows are listed below - C U There - GDW
THE SHORTS PROJECT:
Saturday, March 11, 2017 - a day rich in activity from the realm of performing artists - some of Philadelphia's finest home grown Black Actors and Actresses will be sharing their work at PHILLYCAM - 699 Ranstead Street, and you won't want to miss it!
Of course I am that "Bragging Parent," because my own handsome son, Ra Wilson, is a part of this effort - but there is much pride and adulation to go around as Philadelphia's local talent comes to the forefront. Underwritten by City Councilman Oh's Black Film Advisory Committee, this will prove to be a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
THE SHORTS will be screening from 1:00 to 4:00PM!!
And, of course, after that, you definitely want to make a day of it and get over to the performance Garage, for "Aftermath" - The Play, as well (see below).
Rais is in this as well as the second of the trilogy tomorrow- please try and make it.
THE AFTERMATH SAGA by Bethel Bates
My how time flies - it seems like it was only yesterday that ATERMATH, the brilliant play by Bethel Bates, was having it's opening debut at the Performance Garage. The first of a trilogy depicting the life of a VietNam veteran after having returned home from the war, shell shocked and disoriented. Set in the 60's and based on a real life story, it is poignant and well portrayed.
Saturday, March 11, the second of the three part saga will be performed at the Performance Garage and you won't want to miss it - and the nuanced performances by a brilliant local Philadelphia based cast -including yours truly's son, Ra Wilson, who portrays a vet who has chosen self medication through alcohol to drown out his memories and pain, while trying to give sage advice to his peers.
Well, this is October 25, 2016 - and Lou Wilson, the love of my life, would have celebrated his 75th Birthday! I kind of procrastinated writing this - but it's been on my mind for the last few weeks actually. It's because we had made so many plans about where we would be and what we would be doing at this point in our lives. We fully intended to be sitting on our front porch, either in our swing (oh yes, we planned on having a porch swing!) or the cliche` rocking chairs, watching our grandkids do their thing. Lou wanted to be a professor in ethnomusicology - perhaps at Lincoln U - but definitely involved in imparting his knowledge and love for music to the future generation of avant grade musicians and vocalists. He loved to teach and was a stickler for getting a good educational background.
I know that right about now, our kids - Ki, Ra, Di and Vic - are remembering their Dad fondly. Each of them has inherited a bit of his talent, personality and wisdom. And his brothers, Ric, Carlos and Wolf are taking a moment to pause and treasure the times they spent together from boyhood to manhood to one of the most magnificent music group on the planet - MANDRILL! As for our grandkids - the sadness is they missed getting to know him as he had wished they would. He took such great pride in each of them - and if they get one-quarter of the talent he passed on through his DNA, they are going to be awesome!!! Actually, they already are. Thank goodness there is so much of his music to listen to and share and enjoy. He left a monumental body of work - because he exuded music from his pores.
At times, I am more at peace with his having joined the Ancestor/Angels. I can now at least listen to his music without falling to pieces. I am sharing with you the homage I paid to Lou last year - for his 74th Birthday - Not because I have nothing new to say, but because he always liked to keep things short and sweet - and because it is as true now as it was last year.
Whenever you listen to any music by Mandrill, just remember the lyrics and the music were written, composed, arranged by this iconic musical genius. Each one a masterpiece - whether it made the charts or not. He was as much an ethnomusicologist as he was an artist. He loved music from all cultures. We had a musical house, and anything and everything could be transformed into a musical instrument once it found its way into his hands. Our handsome son, Rais, channels a lot of his dad's talents in so many wonderful ways - is breaking new ground, stepping outside the proverbial box. So do our wonderful grandchildren - so in many ways - Lou may not be here among us on this plane of action, but he is being reborn daily through all of them - we have 5 - our eldest just started college this year - he would be so proud. Every time you listen to his music, he's being reborn. Listen to his lyrics and you get the full measure of who Lou Wilson was/is. His deep, philosophical underpinnings are in the lyrics of the songs he wrote. His love of people was expressed through is lyrics. Even during the period of our separation, I always loved his music - MANDRILL will always be the tops for me in original composition and quality. Each one of those Wilson brothers was a master musician in their own right - Ric, Carlos, Wolf - and most of all Lou - who was the inspiration and founder of the group with his very talented brothers 46 years ago. Also remember that he loved children and always sought to educate them - teach them something new and watch the look of wonderment in their eyes as they began to grasp it. He was always teaching. He did it with our children, the neighbors' children, and any little person who came into his environment. He loved knowledge. He/we also loved good, clean comedy - especially Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Carol Burnette. Being a class clown himself, we could sit and watch comedy shows for hours on end - there is a genius behind being able to tell a joke and get a laugh - and he seemed to have mastered that craft - and passed it on to our son, as well. Since I'm keeping this salute brief, I will close with something we used to sing to each other at the end of each phone conversation - it was originally by Carol Burnette, one of our favorite comediennes: "I'm so glad we had this time together..." Happy Birthday Lou - we love and miss you very much! Give my greetings to Mom and Dad Wilson; my parents, Ruby and Warner Dulan, and to Gil Scott Heron ( I know you two are collaborating on something great), Prince, Alonzo, JiTu Weusi, and all our wonderful friends. And yes, I still love cooking! lol Stay Blessed & ECLECTICALLY BLACK Much Love from GLO
Five days ago, on March 22, 2016, a dear friend made his transition to the realm of Ancestor/Angel, and I was devastated.
DAVID LANGSTON SMYRL - NOW AN ANCESTOR/ANGEL
David Langston Smyrl has been a friend since we first met in New York City at the Cotton Club in Harlem. I had no idea that we would become such good, lifelong friends at the time - and actually had no real idea who he was then - the year was 1985 - I was invited by my friend Dorothy Pitman Hughes to an entertainment showcase that they held regularly at the time.
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney was just getting her comedy repertoire off the ground, and was being represented by none other than Khalid Muhammad (who always dressed to the nines back then); there was a Cotton Club orchestra - yes orchestra - that provided live music, and you could dance and have a great time. And of course the food was (is) fantastic.
I was probably the only one not trying to be an entertainer. I had just written a piece on Africa in a local Black publication called the New American, and wanted to give my activist pitch to the audience. The person serving as host for the evening kept screwing up my name - and when I went up on stage, I didn't correct her, but immediately launched into the information I had to present and then sat back down.
Well Smyrl, who didn't know me from Adam's house cat at the time, got on my case: "When someone doesn't have the respect to get your name right, you make sure you pronounce it for the audience yourself. Don't let them get away with that. Your name is just as important as anyone else's. What you had to say was serious - they have to equate your name correctly with your information. Don't let that happen again." I looked at him, he had a slight scowl on his face, his eyebrows were furrowed the way they do when he's intense, but he also had a slight smile that let me know immediately that he meant well. So I smiled and said, "Yes sir - I won't let it happen again."
He reached out his hand to shake mine, "David Smyrl. If you think you have a difficult name to pronounce, mine is just as bad. I'm constantly having to make sure they get it right. I've been doing it ever since school. But your name means something."
Shortly after that he went on stage, and regaled us with his comedy routine, which had me rolling on the floor - well almost.
I would like to say that Smyrl and I became instant friends after that - but not quite. It was probably six months later when my son, RA, asked me to sign a permission slip for him to be in a short educational film. He was very talented, so every opportunity for him to display his abilities was welcomed. The person I spoke with was Karma Stanley, After being sure that it was a positive image, I allowed him to participate. Upon the premiere of the film, who do I run into but Smyrl - but having no idea that he was part of the production, I explained to him that I had come to see my son's film. It was being shown at what used to be the Coliseum.
Of course the upshot of the whole thing was that Karma and David had a production company called Real to Reel, and my son was in a short on teen sexuality. David had had no idea that RA was my son. But finding that he was cemented what would become a lifelong friendship - under the small world isn't it, synchronicity, obviously we are supposed to be friends concept, we began to hang out together. That is when he wasn't on shoots, or traveling or producing his own material.
It was Smyrl who introduced me to the 609 Club (or Broady's) at 609 W. 125th Street - my favorite After Hours Club! I had never been there before. We were coming out of the Cellar, on 96th when he recommended that it was way to early to go in. Broady's was a treasure trove of entertainers who went there after their regular gigs to really get down. I met so many great artists there that it became my regular hangout.
It was Smyrl who mentored my son when he landed an extra role on the Cosby Show - as well as Bill Cosby himself, who told him how to be on camera and part of the background as well.
It was Smyrl who used to show up to help with Dorothy Pitman Hughes Harlem Business Tour, taking guests to La Famille - a once great jazz and supper club in Harlem. We would co-host the Japanese tourists who would come to Harlem by the bus loads; as well as the fledgling business and political neophytes - including Ken Knuckles and others - to try to give them a sense of the spirit of Harlem, and the need for investors to work with Black business owners.
It was Smyrl who took me to Larry Holmes club in Easton, PA, where he and his own fledgling jazz group performed. We had a lot of fun with Holmes and Smyrl talking about who would knock out whom now.
I guess you can see by now that I had a deep admiration for David Smyrl. I remember asking him what his name meant and what was the origin - and he gave me some comedic song and dance about it. He was honest, honorable, quick witted, meticulous, creative and dedicated to his craft. If David decided he wanted to learn something - like the guitar - he didn't quit until he could play it like a virtuoso. You have to admire that kind of tenacity. He was a Virgo - Virgos have amazing attention to detail, they are sharp, their talents know bounds; he was a genius and a brain -but he was also down to earth, and fun to be with.
It was a good solid positive friendship. We loved debating about things, or examining whether things even made sense. He was definitely my verbal sparring partner; and I freely admit I had had a "thing" for Smyrl. I think it was mutual - but it didn't materialize. It wasn't supposed to, either. We were great as friends. He was a Virgo - neat, everything in its place, totally punctual; I'm an Aries - not necessarily chaotic, but always on the fly. I'll pick up the stuff later. With ten things in the fire at the same time. It would have been a disaster. We decided that the best thing to do was to not mess with a good thing. So friends we remained.
When my son graduated from college, he and his wife moved to Philadelphia. As it turned out, Smyrl live in the same neighborhood. He had come back to look after his ailing mom. Of course, RA was no longer the little skinny kid that Smyrl featured in his film short. He was now 6'3" and muscular. Smyrl didn't recognize him. When he reintroduced himself, he almost fainted. And of course, RA wasted no time in surprising me with the fact that he lived nearby. Seeing David and his wife was like old times. We sat around and told Black in the day stories, jokes, and marveled at what a man RA had become, and what a beautiful young lady my daughter Adiya, who was 6 the last time he saw her, had become.
That was 2002. I would run back and forth between Philly and New York, but it always seemed that if I was in New York, Smyrl was in Philly; if I was in Philly, he would be in New York. But somehow he always managed to keep tabs on me. When I would write an article, or a review, I would get a note from Smyrl about how great it was.
While our communication was sporadic, when ever we caught up with each other, we'd give the encyclopedic version of what we had been up to. Somehow, however, Smyrl always seemed to know. My last communique to him on Facebook was to ask how he was faring. I had messaged him shortly after he announced the proposed chemo treatments, just to see how things were progressing, but had not received a response. I now know that he was otherwise occupied with his next great production: that of entry into the realm of Ancestor/Angel.
It takes a minute to accept that a friend of 30 years has moved forward. My love and condolences to his wife Cheryl, his family, friends and fans. David Langston Smyrl was a total treasure. Greatly loved and greatly missed.
Stay Blessed
Gloria
PLEASE NOTE, ACCORDING TO PHYLLY.COM:
A viewing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 28, at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, will be followed by a funeral service from 1 to 2 p.m. Burial will be private.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society via www.cancer.org.
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson Hello All: I know everybody is preparing for a visitation from the Pope this week - so all are focused on his arrival in our fair cities. However, for those of us who are not so enamoured, and are wanting to be involved in something a lot more lighthearted and uplifting, and, well Black, there is a way-off Broadway performance taking place in Teaneck, NJ that you will totally enjoy - I guarantee it. It's calledSUNDAY LADY, and includes some rising stars that you'll totally enjoy!! - One of them being my handsome son, Ra Wilson.
The
first stop of the Tri-City tour, Sunday Lady follows three childhood
friends - First Lady Satarrah Adams (Actress Jamie Hughes), Dr. Tish
Lovelace-Powers (Actress Iya Brown) and Oleida Daniels (Actress
Nicolette Ellis).
The
story unravels tragedies, celebratory events, and personal struggles of
the three women. One thing remains consistent is their faith in God and
their friendship.
First
Lady Satarrah appears to have the “ideal life” of the three. The
daughter of well-renowned and respected Pastors, successful and
charismatic husband Bishop Adams, mansion in Franklin Lakes, and three
adorable children. However, when her father dies and passes the mantle
and Mega Empire to Satarrah the church is not so embracing. Not to
mention her own personal unhappiness, and an alcoholic younger sister shakes
her perfect world.
Dr.
Tish is a career monster with goals for breakfast, but when her husband
(Played by Producer Jahmar Hill) is not cooperating with her “image
driven” agenda, her perfect marriage becomes not so perfect. A personal
tragedy and her grandmother - aka Big Ma - puts things on spinning wheels for
the doctor.
Oledia
Daniels is your trophy girl getting ready to grab her trophy NFL player
(Actor Sherod Lee); but when a dark side and secrets come into the
picture, will Oleida give up her dream life? Tired of being referee to
her family drama an over religious mother, Minister turned wannabe
gangster brother Omar (Actor Ra Wilson), and his not so saved girlfriend
(Actress Stephanie Johnson), Oleida finds herself entertaining the NFL
bad boy. The play delivers with twist, turns, tears, and laughter.
For those of you in the Philadelphia area, where SEPTA has threatened to shut down the entire transit system, I suggest you carpool and make a day of it. Those of you coming from other areas, there should be no difficulty getting to this wonderful, lighthearted send up.
These rising stars are keeping the tradition of Black theatre and Black creativity alive; and we need to do all we can to support them.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria
PS: I have a hat like that - it's blue! That's a great image don't you think? Just love elegant hats, don't you?
