The month of March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate Natchez Little Theatre in cooperation with the Natchez Museum for African American History and Culture is presenting a benefit performance in celebration of women and commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Harriet Tubman and 100th birthday of Rosa Parks with a one-woman show written by and starring Melissa Waddy-Thibodeaux on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the Natchez Little Theatre Auditorium at 319 Linton Ave. at Maple Street in historic Natchez, Mississippi.

Tickets are $10 and should be reserved by calling Natchez Little Theatre at 601-442-2233; toll free at 1-877-440-2233 or e-mail at natchez@bellsouth.net. You can purchase tickets online at www.natcheztheatre.org.

There will be a question-and-answer period following the 90-minute performance with a reception following in Natchez Little Theatre’s Millstein Room. Ms Waddy-Thibodeaux has performed all over the United States for the past forty years teaching history via theatrics, writing various scripts for tour shows and instructing theater. Her performances as Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks have received national rave reviews.

She began Flying Geese Productions in 1997 to teach history via theatrics, as well as encourage literacy and enlighten her audiences on historical facts that were never taught in school.

Students and teachers alike take a trip back in time as this artist takes her audiences on a journey into the past to make sense of today’s issues. Melissa is the artist in residence at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum and Children’s Prison Arts Project, Theatre Arts Curriculum in Houston, Texas.

Melissa is also the recipient of the prestigious OTTO Award for Political Theater presented to her in New York City at the Rene Castillo Theatre All Stars Project for her work with incarcerated youth in Texas and California. Ms. Waddy-Thibodeaux works with the Children’s Prison Arts Project to help youth to find themselves via creative outlets while learning the basics of the performing and visual arts.

Melissa’s original works include: “The Imitation of Life,” rendition of Fannie Hurst’s work; “Poetry on the Civil Rights Movement and the 1960’s”; “The Resurrection of Harriet Tubman in Escape to Freedom”; “‘No Time To Cry’ the story of Domestic Violence” ;“John Brown and Harriet Tubman in Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.:” “Harriet Tubman Meets Sojourner Truth” and “Meet Mrs. Rosa Parks.”

Melissa Waddy-Thibodeaux will be in Natchez, MS for a full one week historical re-enacting and interpretation workshop for actors, actresses, poets, writers or anyone interested in the art of theater as a tool for teaching history.

Attendees will meet with Ms. Waddy-Thibodeaux beginning Monday evening, March 25 at 6:30 pm at NAPAC Museum to learn techniques from this master storyteller/actress/author from Houston, TX. The workshop will end with a performance of all participants at NAPAC on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m., April 3. Please contact Darrell White at 601-445-0728 for more information regarding the workshop.

 

Layne Taylor is the artistic director of the Natchez Little Theatre.