“It started out as us with us wanting to honor someone who has given a start to so many people,” said singer/actress Unity Theatre Ensemble company member Mardra Thomas.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t we have a reunion?’ But I don’t know how to do anything small, so I got to thinking that we should have a production so that we can celebrate him and his life.”
Next Sunday, October 9, Ralph Greene and his wife Bonnie Harmon will be honored for the decades that Unity served as a springboard for performers of color – actors, singers and dancers – in the region.
Many of these performers, who have gone on to make a name for themselves locally regionally and nationally, will return the stage in the name of Unity as part of a variety show themed revue that blends dance, music, poetry and drama.
Memorable snippets of familiar work produced by Unity will be presented as well.
Denise Thimes, Ron Himes, J. Samuel Davis, Chuck Flowers, Vivian Watt, Joel P.E. King, Thomasina Clarke and Thomas herself will represent the generations of talent that came through the ranks of the theater over the years.
In 1971 Ralph Greene founded Kutana Players as a graduate assistantship project while he studied at Southern University at Carbondale. His intention was to give African-American theater majors a chance to grace the stage in roles beyond the stereotypical characters of butlers and maids.
“We presented productions in every space we could find: the student center, a small 100-seat theater that we had to schedule when no one else was using it, a theater in the home economics auditorium,” Greene said as he accepted “The Pathfinder Award” from The Black Theatre Network in 2004. “And we rehearsed in every nook and cranny we could find, including under the main stage in a little space about 8×8 where costumes were stored [which was called ‘the cage’].”
In 1974, Greene served as stage manager for the theater and music departments collaborative production of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha.” The guest director, Miss Katherine Dunham, invited Greene to come and develop the theater training component at the Performing Arts Training Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, East St. Louis Center.
From September 1974 to February 1996, Unity Theatre Ensemble was the resident theatre company at the Katherine Dunham Center for the Performing Arts (KDCPA).
“It’s truly amazing to me what they’ve been able to accomplish. It’s been life-changing,” Thomas said. “How often do you hear of someone and every person they know says, ‘They did something for me’ or ‘They helped me?’ I’m not exaggerating when I say that they’ve saved a lot of lives.”
While at KDCPA, Unity annually produced a season of professional entertainment and presenting touring repertoire to colleges, universities, and civic events throughout the United States.
“The art of the theatre is so important to the people, whether they realize it or not,” Greene said. “We need the African-American theater to keep our history alive.”
In September 1979, the company’s name was changed from Kutana Players (“Kutana” is Swahili for “coming together”) to Unity Ensemble and, in 1984, to Unity Theatre Ensemble.
After their partnership with the Dunham Center ended, Unity headed across the water to St. Louis where they called Greeley’s 23rd Street Theatre home until the theater closed in 2002.
Unity continued producing shows a host of venues throughout the region until 2012, when a pair of strokes meant producing theater would have to take a backseat to Greene’s recovery.
“Each day he’s getting better – and he’s getting an idea of how many people love him.” Thomas said. “His hopes are to do another show. My hope is that ticket sales are such that we can give him seed money to be able to do that.”
According to Thomas, all of the alums are having a blast reconnecting for the show. That energy will most certainly resonate on stage – and hopefully result in the ultimate love offering for Greene.
“I don’t want to wait until someone passes [to show our appreciation],” Thomas said. “You know that old saying ‘give me my flowers while I can still smell them’? That’s what we’re doing – and not just with the two of them, but with each other.”
All parties involved feel it’s the least they can do after the decades of unwavering commitment and service to the art of theatre and the talented performers who got their start at Unity.
“Through Ralph and Bonnie, seeds were planted for so many people to get a leg up in the entertainment industry,” Thomas said. “That’s how this started, with us just wanting to say ‘thank you’ to them.”
The Celebration of Unity Theatre Ensemble will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, October 9 at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd. Tickets are available at Afro World by calling (314) 389-5194 or at metrotix.com.
