Photo by Mark Rupp
Congratulations, Capathia!
EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE CONGRATULATES CAPATHIA JENKINS ON HER DRAMA DESK NOMINATION
New York, NY [April 26, 2007]: Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT) is honored that Capathia Jenkins is being recognized for her work in their production of (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story. Paul Adams, Artistic Director of EAT, stated, “Capathia put her heart and sole into the role, her performance was outstanding. We are very proud of her accomplishments.”
CAPATHIA JENKINS made her dramatic debut portraying Hattie McDaniel. After receiving rave reviews for her performance in the Broadway hit Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Broadway World said the “star-in-the-making” portrayal of Ms. McDaniel was “intense and passionate.” Jenkins reflected on this phenomenal opportunity: “I am honored, humbled and thrilled to be playing Hattie McDaniel. This project is definitely a highlight of my career, to portray the first black woman to win an Oscar for Gone With The Wind and that’s just one aspect of this extraordinary woman’s life. The chance to do a challenging dramatic piece at Emerging Artists Theatre where they nurture new works is an actor’s dream.” www.capathiajenkins.com
(mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story is a play with music by Joan Ross Sorkin, which reveals a side of Hattie McDaniel’s life that few people knew. Hattie achieved stardom by becoming the first African-American to win an Academy Award, but she paid a high price for fame. By playing a succession of maids and cooks, most notably Mammy in Gone With the Wind, she became the target of an unrelenting campaign against “Mammyism” led by Walter White of the NAACP, who thought her roles were shameful and degrading to their race. Despite her own efforts to bring dignity and humanity to her roles, within seven years of winning her Oscar, her film career was virtually destroyed.
Incorporated in October 1993, Emerging Artists Theatre's mission is to provide a dynamic home for playwrights to remain the key component in developing their work from an idea to a fully realized production. EAT provides the opportunity to emerging directors, actors and designers to participate with a live playwright on developing their original work. In its 14th season, in addition to the Triple Threat Premieres, EAT’s Fall and Spring Eatfests gave audiences a taste of 23 new short plays! EAT’s Developmental Series gave 224 artists a chance to workshop their creativity featuring one woman shows, clown work, standup, sketch-comedy, cabaret and ensemble musicals. www.eatheatre.org
The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to explore key issues in the theater and to bring critics and writers together in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting its awards in 1955, and is the only critics’ organization to honor achievement in the theater with competition between Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. To find out more about the organization and this year’s awards show, visit http://www.dramadesk.com.
