The Shape of Things to Come

Summer 2006

Joe Chamberlain as the Radio Announcer

This particular show depicted the 1960s and 1970s, and our transition away from previous racist attitudes. The main storyline, about Azilee dancing with the black cook, and the stir that it caused, originated with one of the cast. It's becoming difficult to imagine the mindsets that existed even earlier in my own lifetime. Which is why these stories are so important. That said, we had several previous shows that addressed the racial divide in very heavy terms. and were practically nothing but that. And the cast -- and the county -- were ready for something a little lighter. As the character Leonard says, "It doesn't have to be about the whole world all the time." Sometimes it's just about having a friend.

The other previous shows, and , were also a little heavier in their way. So I'm not surprised that the switch to some lighter comedic fare raised audience attendance.

Story threads:

Azilee's home from college with a new name and a whole new attitude
A racial scandal rocks the Welcome Grill.
A Momma's boy gets the girl, and some gumption!
Poor Aunt Lizzie. She's in a better place. How 'bout that inheritance?!
Gossip at the Beauty Shop. Why would you dress like that for a funeral?
Roy and Abner have a disease. With no symptoms.
Telephone pranks
Unrequited nerd love
Mabel's red bikini bathing suit

Leonard and Azilee

In trying to get a handle on the character of Sidney Sullivan, the school counselor with the pleasant exterior and intolerant interior, I modeled him heavily on my own step-father. He was a very nice person, really, butwas as racist as the day is long. He would rant and rave... in private... about "niggers and Jews" but would never, ever let that affect the way he dealt with people on a personal level. Azilee would remark in the play, "You're a hypocrite!" But for the people who grew up in those days it wasn't as simple as that.

People like him were taught their racist attitudes from their earliest life. It was impressed upon them from every side, and from every authority. They didn't just think they were racially superior, they knew it, with the same conviction that you know the sun is going to rise. At the same time, they were raised to be decent and polite, and that extended to everyone. So they were decent and polite and kind to minorities, while at the same time internally maintaining and enforcing their perceived superiority. If you still can't understand it, try this on for size: everyone knows you should be kind to animals. Animal cruelty should never enter your mind. But you wouldn't elect a dog to City Council, would you? Of course not, that would be ridiculous! Instead you'd teach the dog to heel and tell yourself that an obedient, well trained animal is happier and healthier. And now you know the mindset. As bizarre and twisted as it seems today, it wasn't hypocrisy at all when viewed within their own frame of reference.

Syndey explains to Azilee how "wrong" her association with Leonard.

Syndey 'explains' to Azilee how 'wrong' is her association with Leonard

Of course, such attitudes could lead to real hypocrisy pretty quickly. For instance, amid all of his anti-semitic ranting, it never occurred to my step-father that he married a woman who was born a Jew. To him she was somehow different because he knew her and loved her. So to him, her minority status didn't count. And that extended to others as well. "Niggers" as a group were despicable in his eyes. But none of the Blacks that he knew were "niggers". They were somehow different because he knew them and loved them.

And there you have Sidney Sullivan. The only thing it would take to get him from the old mindset to the new with respect to an individual is familiarity. But we have to love more than just our neighbor. To extend your new awareness to an entire group you just have to extend your love to the entire group. It sounds too easy, and perhaps it is. After all, if we could all spread the love, we wouldn't need to change the world.

Songs

Gossip at the beauty shop

The Shape of Things to Come
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:
Why would you dress like that for a funeral?
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:
Rockin' on the Radio
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:
I'm in Love
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:
Goin' to the Drive-In
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:
I wanna be a rock n roll star
Music & Lyrics by:	Ralph Lawson
Arrangement by:	Buddy Wilkes & Dell Morgan
Soloists:

Oh, No! Aunt Lizzie's Gone!

PRODUCTION STAFF
Executive ("Core") Team:	Pam McMillian, Chair Nanette Jenkins Monte Lancaster Lacretia McClurkin-Peake George Bruce Kristi Sommer
Playwright:	Betsy Vanderford
Director:	Ralph Lawson
Producer:	Jane Wilkes
Stage Manager:
Pianist:	Dell Morgan
Trumpeter:	Buddy Wilkes
Lighting Control:	Trey Lawson
Sound Control	Maggie All
Tech:
Choreographer:	Janet Lawson
Props/Costumes:	Betsy Vanderford, Cast
Special Food Props:	Dave Leigh

CAST OF CHARACTERS arranged alphabetically by last name (if I have any of these wrong just let me know so I can correct it)
ACTOR/ACTRESS -	CHARACTER
Taylor Adams	Young Lynn
Maggie All	Lolly Jane
Reid Bailey	Beth
Taylor Baker	Darlene
Chase Baldwin	Jerry
Devin Bates	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Mary Virginia Blackwell	Audrey
Jessica Blankenship	Nancy
Kyle Boineau	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Nancy Braxton Browning	Miz Taylor
George Bruce	Mr. Patterson
Bethany Byrd	Elvis Girl 3
Daytona Caldwell	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Jacob Casey	Child Curt
Joe Chamberlain	Radio Announcer
Harriet Cohen	Phyllis
Carrie Cothran	Donna
Gino Furguson	Franklin D.
Tatiana Ferguson	Eleanor
Katie Ford	Girl 4
Sarah Garnett	Mabel
Jon Nick Gault	Billy
Jessie Gibbs	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Becca Gibson	Wanda
Janie Gist	Sophie
Patrick Greer	Calvin, age 11
Tony Gregory	Wilbur
Anna Harris	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Morgan Hathcock	Elvis Girl 5
Katie Holden	Azilee "Azalea" Sullivan
Ron Holden	Herbert
George Holloway	Coach Jackson
Sue Keith	Shirley Sullivan
Anna Kelly	Mary Jo
Tori Labian	Peggy
Bess Lawson	Lynn
Janet Lawson	Radio Singer
Kim Lawson	Mrs. McCoy
Leah Lawson	Young Azilee
Dave Leigh	Sidney Sullivan
Michael Leigh	Boy 1
Joanne Lipscomb	Mrs. Lindsay
Mallory McGee	Patty
Ashley Meador	Diane
Connor Medford	Kaye
Keely Messar	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Dell Morgan	Radio Singer
Cassie Owen	Elvis Girl 1
Dale Patterson	Boy 3
Morgan Petty	Girl 1
Katie Poole	Debbie
Brittany Pridemore	Kathy
Brooke Prince	Elsie
Daniel Prince	Homer
Bailey Queen	Karen
Bobby Rogers	Leonard
Johnny Sinclair	Mr. Lindsay
Beverly Smith	Maxine
Taylor Smith	Jerry Lewis Taylor
Trey Smith	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Kristi Smith	Peach
Sean Stephens	Booger
Jim Stepp	Abner
Kathy Stepp	Bernice
Brittany Teague	Elvis Girl 2
Sara Thompson	Mrs. Jackson
Dillon Thompson	Vic
Matt Vanderford	Curt
Taylor Wade	Boy 2
Buddy Wilkes	Roy
Bailey Willard	Rock-N-Roll Chorus
Jacob Winters	Calvin as Child
Josh Winters	Calvin Sullivan
Cathryn Young	Young Dianne