Play Based On Caribbean Author Rosa Guy's Book Opens At Cab Calloway School Of The Arts

Jet, March 15, 1999

The Cab Calloway School of Performing Arts in Wilmington, DE, recently opened its production of the musical, Once on This Island, a play based on the novel My Love My Love by acclaimed author Rosa Guy.

Both Guy and Mrs. Nuffie Calloway, widow of legendary entertainer Cab Calloway, for whom the school is named, were in attendance.

Guy, who says she has always enjoyed writing and composing, was thrilled to see her novel come alive on the stage, particularly by aspiring young actors and actresses of different ethnic backgrounds.

"I feel honored being here," said Guy. "I feel as though something special has happened to me ... seeing a group of interracial children perform my work."

The story is based on love, faith, anger, and forgiveness. It brings two cultures together when a dark-skin ned peasant girl falls in love with a light-skinned, upper-class young man. Once On This Island presents serious themes of class distinction and racial prejudice.

Guy and the Calloway family were recognized at a VIP reception at the Christina River Club in downtown Wilmington, DE, prior to the opening of the play.

Mrs. Nuffie Calloway, the widow of Cab Calloway, said how proud her husband would be of the accomplishments of the performing arts school.

"I am very proud of the school," said Mrs. Calloway. "It incorporates many things that my husband stood for. It's a real tribute to him."

Cabella Calloway, Cab Calloway's daughter, an honorary board member for the school and president of the Cab Calloway Foundation, added, "You can integrate the arts and academics and have a wonderful product. There should be more support and funding for these types of schools."

Cab Calloway School of Performing Arts, which has 514 students in grades six through eleven, opened in 1992 under the name Performing Arts Middle School and is housed in Wilmington High School. In 1993 the school was named Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

All students must audition in their intended field of study, which includes drama, dance, vocal music, instrumental music, communication arts and visual arts. Students must keep their grades above average in order to participate in their art courses, which must also remain at a satisfactory level in order for them to remain enrolled at the school.

"Not a lot of public schools focus on the arts," said M. Denise Tolliver, dean of the Cab Calloway Performing Arts School. "We utilize the arts to integrate and encourage the students."

According to Dean Tolliver, the school receives state funding for traditional school materials, such as text books. However, art has a highly consumable nature and requires specialized funding, almost three times as much funding as traditional education. For this reason the school is constantly in need of funding to keep its art supplies, materials and equipment stocked and updated.

"We need the support of the public," said Dean Tolliver. "We get to inform the community about the arts through visits, contributions, discussions and demonstrations from actors, performers and other professionals and experts in the arts."

The students enjoy heating actual professionals in their fields of study share their success stories. This encourages the students to strive for their goals while providing them with role models.

LeAnn Austin, an eighth-grade communication arts major at Cab Calloway Performing Arts, was delighted to meet Guy at the VIP reception. Austin, 13, presented Guy with a copy of Picture Delaware Landmarks of a New Generation, a book of black and white photographs taken by students in Delaware. Austin's photograph served as the cover for the book.

"I'm a writer myself," said an excited Austin, "I don't know how [Ms. Guy] got to where she is today, but I want to be there some day."

Austin said that the performing arts school is important to her because "students can express themselves through academics as well as the arts."