Sasheer Moore, a fourth-year College student, said she never gave much thought to theater before college.
"In high school, I never really did theater," Moore said. "At U.Va. I tried out for some plays and it was actually really fun."
Today, with third-year College student Folami Williams, Moore is the co-president of the Paul Robeson Players, an independent student-run African-American theater organization.
The organization offers a unique service to the community as, according to Williams and Moore, there will be no other African-American shows playing in Charlottesville this semester.
The Paul Robeson Players has become an outlet for students interested in all areas of African and African-American theater. Moore and Williams are staging a second revival of the organization, but they said the Paul Robeson Players has been at the University since the 1970s.
Though it is a mystery why and when the Paul Robeson Players died out, it is well known that Sean Patrick Thomas was a member of the organization. Most famous for his role in the 2001 film "Save the Last Dance" opposite Julia Stiles, Thomas will be returning to the University as a guest for the 20th Annual Virginia Film Festival. Moore and Williams will be in the audience to see him.
"We hope we can somehow meet him and show him we are part of Paul Robeson," Williams added.
A new movement for African-American theater took place at the University when 2007 University graduate Rhavynn Drummer first revived the Paul Robeson Players with fellow alum Jesimiel Jenkins, who took on the role of vice president.
Moore and Williams are now in the process of the second revival, but in many ways it is different from the first revival led by Drummer.
"This semester will be the first time [since the first revival] that we will be performing a full production," Moore said.
Previously, the Paul Robeson Players dabbled in short skits that they performed during intermissions of other shows, such as the Portraits of Color that took place earlier this semester.
This semester, the group will be performing an original piece written by second-year College student Brittani Wade. Named "Whoopin' Momma and Dookie Braids," the play is about six children growing up in the worst part of Chicago. A modern play, it shows the growth of the children as they struggle with racial tension in different situations. The production is scheduled to be performed Nov. 9 and 10.
"We are lucky that we found a play but also the fact that Brittani had written such a good play," Williams said.
The cast is composed of third-year College student Sharon Crews, second-year College student Debra Kaye Cartwright, first-year College students Brittany Terrell and Lance Lemon and fourth-year College students Silas Hardison and Ian Jackson.
The Paul Robeson Players will be promoting more in-house writing. with the hopes of holding a production each semester, but all plays are welcome. They will hold a playwriting competition towards the end of the fall semester, with the winner's play being performed in the spring.
"The funny thing is that once everyone heard that our current play had been written by a student, they were all interested in writing something," Moore said.
With a steady number of 10 to 12 members, the Paul Robeson Players hope to create more opportunities for black students who are interested in theater, Williams said.
Moore added that the nature of theater allows the organization to both educate the community and enjoy themselves.
"We hope to send a message and entertain at the same time," Moore said. "It is a different way of expressing yourself"
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