Black Angels Soar On And Off Stage
By Lenora Houseworth

It is a story told several times and yet not enough.

In the off-Broadway production of “Black Angels Over Tuskegee,” six talented actors explore the struggles, brotherhood, patriotism and heroic acts of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

“When it really sinks in, you think, ‘These men were incredible,’’’ said actor Lamman Rucker, who stars in the production. “I think the ease of this story is that we make the characters very accessible, very normal, very realistic so you know exactly who these men are; they’re the men in your life.”

The production comprises a stellar group of men dubbed “The Black Gents of Hollywood” who are steadily winning over crowds with their powerful portrayals of men serving their country at the height of the Jim Crow era. But when the lights come up, the all-male ensemble works overtime with a clearly defined mission to resurrect, redefine, and restore positive images of African-American men.

“It’s a whole other dynamic of what we do just based on who we are,” said Rucker. “We consider ourselves a service organization as well. We are in the community getting involved, partnering with other nonprofit organizations so that we have a presence and we get a collective of young black men that are behind them setting an example to do what we can to help people move their initiatives forward.”

The play, which opened this January, already has received several awards, including the NAACP award for Best Ensemble. The cast also includes rotating performances from Lawrence St. Victor (“Guiding Light”) and Tobias Truvillion (“One Life To Live”) as well as David Wendell Boykins, Demetrius Gross, Thom Scott II, Steve Brustein, Thaddeus Daniels, Melvin Huffnagle, and playwright/director Layon Gray.

“This story really inspires us to see how dreams and determination work together,” said Gray. “I’ve witnessed audience members laughing hysterically and then sobbing solemnly. It is a perfect vehicle to educate, entertain, inspire and add perspective to a rarely heard chapter in American history and I’m so glad to share it.”

Lenora E. Houseworth is assistant editor of Urban Influence.