Paul Robeson comes to life through play starring Junious Leak

It is a life that is legendary, a story that broke the conventions and created a legend of a man.A man with the voice to match.Last month, the Undergraduate Programs in conjunction with the Office of International Programs brought Paul Robeson to Winston-Salem State University.According to www. pbs.org, Robeson was an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist. His talents made him a revered man of his time, yet his radical political beliefs all but erased him from popular history. Today, more than 100 years after his birth, Robeson is just beginning to receive the credit he is due. And while this larger than life character died more than 25 years ago, his life and trials lived on in the Dillard Auditorium, A.H. Anderson Center, for a three-night run.The play which was written by Phillip Hayes Dean and both starred and was directed by Junious Leak, a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University brought Robeson’s story to life. The three-hour play was held for three performances, which featured a crew made up of students and faculty both on and off stage.It included producer Lorenzo Meachum, assistant artistic director Avis Gray, musical director Kerwin Graham, Dr. David Siar and the voice of a McCarthy era chairman, Nicole Muse, who played an African dancer.Hashim Saleh provided the rhythm for the African drums. He is also the director of Otesha Creative Arts Ensemble. Students from Gray’s play directing class as well as members from Black Men for Change provided the technical support for the play.For Leak this was the second time he had stepped into Robeson’s shoes. “I had one other run, the centennial celebration of his 100th birthday.” His other theater experiences ranks amongst the best of the best of African-American theater. He has appeared in productions of Fences, Piano Lesson and Raisin in the Sun, and Leak also had a brief appearance in the feature film The Color Purple.The play followed his life as he told about leaving home and going to attend Rutgers where he eventually became an all-American. At several pivotal points of the play, the audience saw Robeson through his lows and the triumphs of his life.As for whether he knew that he wanted to be an entertainer., Leak said, “When the doctor spanked me, I knew I wanted to be an entertainer.”But what was at the heart of the story was a remarkable man who stood up and stuck to his guns. More so, it was the life and the legacy of Robeson that carved the way for many to come, although his life was marred by accusations that he was affiliated with the Communist party. When asked how he managed to remember a full three hours worth of dialogue, Leak said he sees it through scenes, which made it easier to recall the dialogue for each moment.He added that even for the touching moments of the play, Leak said he drew on personal experience to help him find the right emotions needed for the scene. “He was for people everywhere. He faced many indignities, he was a humanitarian,” said Leak. “I’m glad a lot of hype is being done. Because it let’s people know who he is.”