when Dr. Theodore Gilliam, a professor at
Dillard University, and several of his associates
formed an off-campus theatre group
with recent graduates and other individuals
who wanted to pursue theatre in
the community. Dashiki Project Theatre,
founded 50 years ago and located in the
basement of that church, was the result.
Describing her introduction to Ted
Gilliam and theatre, Carol recalled, “After
sitting in the back of the room and watching
the rehearsals, the director asked if I
thought I could act. I told him, “I know I
can do that.’ Then he cast me in my first
play, ‘A Hand is on the Gate.’ The piece I
did was Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s ‘When
Malindy Sings.’ Girl, you know, I ‘ve been
doing that poem for over 50 years.”
Theatrically smitten, Carol was well
on her way to stardom. She remained an
active member of Dashiki Theatre Project
for over 20 years. In less than five years,
she would be cast in her first TV film,
“The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman”
based on the novel by Louisiana writer
Ernest Gaines and starring Cicely Tyson.
Her first feature film, in 1976, would be
COVER STORY
“Sounder, Part 2,” again starring Cicely
Tyson with Paul Winfield.
So, with such impressive credentials in
film, TV and onstage, one might think that
Carol would leave New Orleans to seek
fame and fortune elsewhere. However,
this was not the case. When asked if she
had ever considered leaving New Orleans,
without hesitation she answered with a
single word: “Never.”
She added, “When everyone else left, I
never had a desire to leave New Orleans.
I never wanted to go to L.A. or New York.
In those places, there were hundreds of
people trying to do the same things I
wanted to do. If I wanted to get on stage
or get in a movie, I was able to do that
right here.”
And so, not wanting to uproot her family
or leave her beloved home city behind,
Carol continued to work as a full-time
social worker at TCA while pursuing both
her theatre and film careers. She retired
from Total Community Action after 43
years of service in 2011.
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the
original production of “A Raisin in the
Sun” and never one to turn down a
meaty role, Carol will lead the cast of
Voices in the Dark Repertory Theatre
Company’s upcoming production
of Lorraine Hansberry’s New York
Drama Critics' Circle Best Play of
1959. Starring in the key role of Leah
Younger, the matriarch of the Younger
family, Carol is eagerly looking forward
to opening night on March 15.
When asked, in closing, “What have
you NOT done that you’ve always
wanted to do?” again, without hesitation,
she gave a resounding reply:
“Nothing – God has been good.”
Editor’s Note: The author of this
article, Tommye Myrick, founder and
executive director of Voices in the
Dark Repertory Theatre Company, is
staging and directing this production
of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
“A Raisin in the Sun” opens on
March 15 and runs through March 31
at the Ashé Power House Theater, 1731
Baronne Street, New Orleans.
COURTESY PHOTOS:
CAROL SUTTON
For ticket
information
and reservations
call the Ashé
Cultural Center
Box Office at (504) 569-9070 between
10:00 am.-5:00 pm. Online tickets can
be purchased at http://bit.ly//Raisin2019.
Group rates are available. ��
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BIONCA FLOT SYKES
MARC H / A P R I L 2 0 1 9 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 9
/Raisin2019
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