Joyce Ladner of SNCC Legacy Project on 'Prelude to a Dream': 'The performance evoked emotions I hadn't felt for fifty years.'

Alan Marshall:

The standard of excellence we have always striven for is set by those who lived, worked and sacrificed during the civil rights movement.  We have much to be proud of today."This was a riveting performance that transported me back to the 1960s civil rights movement. The cast was so believable. The performance evoked emotions I hadn't felt for fifty years. Prelude was true to the values we in SNCC held for our work. I was literally bowled over because of how much the play resonated with our civil rights work." – Joyce Ladner of the SNCC Legacy Project

Joyce Ladner was one of SNCC representatives on the 1963 March on Washington planning committee. This is the highest praise that we could receive. We are both humbled and honored by these words.  They encourage and inspire us…and they vindicate our faith in the work we do.

Against all the odds, we found a way to bring Prelude to a Dream to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington. But, we did not confine our performances to Enon Baptist Church  & Metropolitan A.M.E.  Church. We let our little lights shine by leading freedom songs at the march on August 24^th and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 26^th.

 

These are experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

We refused to let our lack of resources stop us. I would like to acknowledge and thank the dedicated and committed cast of Prelude to a Dream. Some of them came at their own expense, others came on one way tickets and several cast members have declined to accept compensation for their marvelous work. I am truly blessed to be surrounded with such committed artists. I would also like to thank our supporters who gave so generously down the stretch and made our trip possible. We will always remember your kindness.

But even with a dedicated cast and our small band of generous supporters, we fell short of what we needed to produce these shows. Therefore, I am making one final appeal to the hearts and minds of those reading this message who were unable to contribute earlier. There are expenses that need to be settled and artists who still need to be paid. To our knowledge, Prelude to a Dream was the only artistic/theatrical production in the D.C. area to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Please contribute today so that we can continue to tell these stories and keep these legacies alive. With your help we can end this journey on a positive note. THANK YOU.

Alan Marshall