By Marva Sneed
Created by: Christina Ham
Directed by: Regina Washington
Cast of Characters:
Nina Simone: Ardina Lockhart
Sara: Genine Ware
Saphronia: Alexis Zollicoffer
Sweet Thing: Denise Baker
50 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nina Simone: Four Women is focused on the Civil Rights Movement. Directed by Regina Washington. A quote by Mrs. Washington “Considering the times that we are living in today, it is hard to wrap my head around the fact that social injustices and civil rights are battles that still must be fought. It is so surreal that the historical piece of this show, in many ways, feels like present-day America.” She also stated, “This show is powerful, it is eye-opening, and if you let it…it is life-changing.” Regina Washington dedicates this piece to the memory of Nina Simone and to the four little girls in the 16th St. Baptist Church in Alabama (Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley) whose killings helped draw national attention to the hard-fought and dangerous struggle for civil rights for African Americans. The play brought me tears and laughter I couldn’t sit still.
