Oni Lasana Doin' Dunbar as 'Lias' Mother

11/2019

Performing Oni Lasana Doin' Dunbar as 'Lias' Mother, is one of my greatest public pleasures.  My signature program is a traveling one woman play featuring the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. (1872-1906) of Dayton, Oh. 

Interactive and musical, it is set during the Civil War and also another play I produce is ALWAYS FREE, A Juneteenth Celebration set after the Civil War. 

Always Free! is where the 'Lias' Mother character reminisces of life on a plantation in South Carolina and her new founded freedom, culminating in the celebratory poem, The Party.

Dunbar's spoken word poetry was my first leap into the literary world of professional storytelling.  Since 1992, I have stepped out on faith and onto stages, back yards, festivals, conferences and universities with over 40 (and counting), Dunbar poems in my head. 

Bringing life to Dunbar's southern dialect poetry and his northern prose, has fired my passion as an  arranger of over a dozen poems to music. Dunbar has also carried me into donning the hat of "creative director" with my drama mama's, The West Chester Community Performers in several productions, and most recently, the Love Of Dunbar, the international virtual crew with those who also love his works. 

As I quote the tag line of Mitch Capel, another Dunbarian...we do "Sto'trytelling" aka poetic storytelling carrying on the legacy of Dunbar.

This story is about the man who taught me the works of Paul Laurence Dunbar, Robert Jones of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Sunrise: January 24, 1950 - Sunset : October 30, 2018

I am writing this in 2019, and I am still so very sadden to muse over the passing of this wonderfully gifted man and my brother from another mother, Bob Jones of Coatesville, PA. 

Back in 1992, Bob invited me to his rustic mansion on the hill, to rehearse with his close knit dance troupe. He taught and guided us all with down to earth patience and discipline. His method of creative thinking, performing and artful consciousness was something no university or school of theater could ever attempt to guide us into the web of Dunbar's works. Bob Jones opened my eyes, heart and soul to the spoken word poetry and the controversial life of Paul Laurence Dunbar and slavery in America. 

Bobby grew up shoeing horses and listening to his dad and uncles recite Dunbar on his families farm in Chester County. His grandmother Ida Jones made her mark as a folk artist in her senior years. She has an historical marker in her honor along Route 82 on the road from Coatesville to Kennett Square, PA. not far from the Mason/Dixon line. Bob was born deep in roots and culture, a humble yet gifted, Renaissance man, free thinker, explorer, adventurer, master drummer who fiddled around on the fiddle too. I met him in 1990, when I was the girl scout leader for Maya, one of his many lovely daughters. 

We met through his partner, Lee, the mother of Maya and when he witnessed a production I produced with the African-American Girl Scout Troupe, he invited me to join his circle of artists. A few of us met at the Coatesville library and I became one of the co-founders of the Coatesville Cultural Society. 

Bob was all inclusive in his love of people and the performing arts and theater of all genre's was a road to racial unity and understanding. 

In our rehearsals of Dunbar's works, knowing my love of the bass guitar, he taught me how to play a one string bass broom handle on a upside down bucket for a plantation jam session during one of our musical presentations. 

The Coatesville Cultural Society tag line for our mission statement was...ART...All Races Together. I still have my T-shirt.  

Bobby Jone's creative energy was released in the heart of an old steel town where "culture" is deeply and socially segregated. His greatest desire was to bring folks from all racial and economic backgrounds, together.  It was a seed that needed watering in a small steel town. Racial tension had plagued the town for decades. The lynching of an African man in America, Zachariah Walker in the early 1900 was living history revisited in a book, "No Crooked Death" by Dennis B. Downey and Raymond M. Hyser. It was believed a few of the adults and children in the infamous photo of Zachariah as seen in THE BLACK BOOK, being burned at the stake like a pig roasted, (after they hung him) could still be alive in Coatesville, and never brought to justice, for this "northern" strange fruit incident. We were to bring a new generation together in harmony through theater.

First, came our Harmony Street Theater, a little store front ex-jewelry shop, with a black box in the back room. Many locals were personally invited to experience our quaint grass roots productions. 

Intimately sitting, side by side. Sharing space. Bob purposely called everyone together, socially, politically, economically and all the allly's - if only for one evening of storytelling, theater, African drumming, country fiddle music and as he called it to "break bread" in community. 

After each play, we'd circle up to get to know the person behind the sad, confused or smiling faces. All from very different backgrounds. We'd  circle up to face each other and freely discuss the impact of experiencing; "Brothello"..."My Africa, My Children" "Wingate Hall", "Woman of Iliad" to mention just a few. Local vocalist, poets, musicians and passionate creative artists were given space, time and audiences to also shine in the venue. 

In November and just in time for "Soliloquy of A Turkey" we eagerly brought to life Dunbar's humorous pathos and lyrics of love and laughter. Laughing and loving the high art of creativity, to discus our feelings about life, love, ups and downs, in the play or our personal lives....together.  Warm connections and memorable moments is a understatement. 

Many thought provoking and controversial productions were performed with spirit driven artists, those who Bob lived with and loved; Lee Heirs, Danny, Roberta, Ray, Isha, Falaq, Pooda, Ajene, Ann, Leora, Mary, Margaret and if I forgot to mention you, you know who you are....plus, later but not too late, his young grandson's were doin' Dunbar. 

Coatesville Cultural Society sustained itself with funds from school shows, we locally toured, mostly Friends Schools. The children were mesmerized as we brought Dunbar's poetry to life with vignette's of plantation life during the Civil War. 

Our funds were matched with grants, private investors and the city also pitched in to renovate a historic, once segregated department store.The newly renovated building shone as a beacon of hope in arts and culture. Huge gold lettering elegantly graced the facade of the building; COATESVILLE CULTURAL SOCIETY, brought a classy upgrade to a little run down section of what was striving to become "downtown" Coatesville. 

The building housed a cafe', art gallery, apartment space, office space, large performance space and smaller black box upstairs. ....for well over 25 years, we affectionately called it  "The Spot" on E. Lincoln Highway. Bob's generous transparent nature offered an outlet to hundreds of local artist to also showcase in performances, a visual art gallery and cafe' with chess club and poetry open mic gatherings. 

 Besides, his freckled face smile, I'll miss Doin' Dunbar with CCS friends. Before the Spot, square dances, at the firehouse is where this city girl from North Philly, who hated square dancing in a all girls high school at gym...doe see -doe with folks from all over town. We were the center of the universe bringing local stars to shine in a small little town near Amish County.

In September of 2018, Bob Jones had a stroke and due to the stroke, he was unable to undergo the surgery to remove a infected gall bladder. They warned him he wouldn't live much longer. No hospital hospice for him. Bob went back up the rocky unpaved road that led to his home on "the hill." 

Resting in bed, his last weeks alive was surreal to all who visited him as he alternated between sleep, welcoming visitors, his children and staring out the window watching the trees drop leaves, between tears, hugs, and gentle smiles. The golden and red leaves felling gently from the forest of trees as if they were the tears of all who knew and loved him. 

Tree's always surrounded us as always in the drum circles, Swedenborg discussions, listening and laughing at his children, family issues, friends dropping by to say goodbye.. This year, no cold winter death would catch the warmth of Bob Jones off guard. 

He was dying. Everyone knew it. He bravely allowed his own transition to give up the physical. No drugs. No tubes. No fight against the natural course of life. 

I visited him a few times, the last time I sat at the foot of his bed told him stories about what my now grown children were up to. He knew them from youth. I told him stories about my Dunbar gigs, jokes and thanked him for bringing Dunbar's gifts into my life. 

I kissed Bob on the cheek, hugged him and assured him that I would "see him later, and it would be greater." 

Lee, his devoted partner and mother of 5 of his children later told me Bob said I was a "funny lady."  If all I could do was to leave him smiling, that was fine with me. 

My good friend, my mentor in root n' culture theater....my Dunbar Svengali (a good one) who had no idea what a Svengali was! 

Robert Jones, beloved charismatic countryman, who left behind 15 children, 30+ grand children (and still counting) countless friends. Bob's children and friends will continue his legacy of love and laughter, as we all are a reflection of his grace and kindness.

The following poem is the one Dunbar poem that speaks to my mentor and Dunbarian brother, 

LIFE by Paul Laurence Dunbar

A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in,

A minute to smile and an hour to weep in,

A pint of joy to a peck of trouble,

And never a laugh but the moans come double;

And that is life!

A crust and a corner that love makes precious,

With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us;

And joy seems sweeter when cares come after,

And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter;

And that is life.

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Visit with Love Of Dunbar! page on this website. And join us in a monthly discussion and performance group. I continue the Dunbar journey with a international group of artists, teaching Dunbar as we continue to embrace the adventure and like Bob, for the Love of Dunbar.

www.LoveOfDunbar.com