my inspiration

My exposure to entertainment history began in "BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR", my first broadway show. I knew about the writers of the past, Langston Hughes, Zora, Imamu, James Weldon Johnson, thru my training at The DC Blk Repertory. In BBS, I met , worked with, and became friends with living history, legendary performers that were still alive..: AVON LONG, J. FLASH RILEY, JOE ATTLES, JIMMY CROSS of STUMP & STUMPY. Mr COOKIE of COOK & BROWN, CHARLES HONI COLES, CAB CALLOWAY, just to name a few. But it was Honi Coles the legendary tap dancer that took me under his wing and began to educate me about entertainment history .We toured together for a year or more, and I was with him all the time, listening and cherishing his stories as well as learning his tap routines that he was teaching me. I developed a thirst for information, comedy routines, songs, dances,and whatever I could find, to quench that thirst. After BBS closed, and in an effort to determine my own destiny I co-concieved a tribute to vaudeville entitled "SHOOT ME WHILE I'M HAPPY" at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. My late friend and I then co-concieved , wrote, and produced our production of "ROLLIN w / STEVENS & STEWART" A Tribute to the last days of Black Vaudeville. After his death I renamed it "ROLLIN' ON THE TOBA". It was then produced in NYC at Amas Rep Theater, then off broadway at The 47th ST Theater, before moving to Broadway at The Kit Kat Club, at The Henry Miller Theater . Unfotunarely.. as theater goes, my wonderful show, which recieved rave reviews from The NY Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and others, closed prematurely. It was suggested to me on many occasions that I should write a book on the subject.  I took up the challenge ,  and this blog will contain excerpts from my research  on  "A HISTORY OF ENTERTAINMENT IN AMERICA".
Ronald Smokey Stevens