On Monday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. on a brutally cold winter’s night, the environment was warm and welcoming at Black Spectrum Theatre in Queens as the world premiere of the documentary feature film “AUDELCO & Me: The Story of Jackie Jeffries and AUDELCO Awards” was presented. For 53 years the AUDELCO Awards have been rewarding excellence in Black Theatre. The Juney Smith Film with executive producer Glynn Turman, through Turman’s company Backyard Ventures Inc., took the audience through the history of the AUDELCO Awards, which began in 1973.
We saw that it was the brainchild of Amsterdam News Theater Critic Vivian Robinson, who realized that there were not awards existing to acknowledge and reward the work that Black people were doing on stage. “I wasn’t pleased with the way the awards ignored our people,” Robinson says in the film. This documentary includes many video interviews with Robinson at the AUDELCO Awards over the years and it has interviews with many celebrities that participated in the awards and received this honor and recognition.
Robinson shared the history of how the idea of the AUDELCO came into fruition, the names of those who worked with her to get the organization started and her dream to have all realize the important contributions that Blacks were making in theater. The audience learned a very detailed history about the AUDELCO Awards and marvelous facts like Kerry Washington was the first person to receive the Rising Star Award. Jackie Jeffries, the current President of AUDELCO shared her relationship with Robinson and the AUDELCO Awards and how she is continuing the dream of Vivian Robinson and people like Grace Jones who was the President of AUDELCO prior to Jeffries.
The film includes interviews with people like Tony Award winner Lillias White and many others discussing the importance of these awards. You hear the passion and dedication that Robinson had. You also hear the energy and dedication of the late Grace Jones as she named people who have come through AUDELCO like Colman Domingo and Chuck Cooper. All throughout the film you see past AUDELCO honorees and Award winners and it is truly a who’s who of Black Theater. AUDELCO rewards everyone from playwrights to actors to everyone on the creative teams of productions.
As you watch interviews with these lovely ladies and we get to experience their beauty, passion and grace, Jeffries is presented talking about the challenges that were faced and the actions taken to make things better. You can hear her passion for the organization and the need to keep the important and great work of AUDELCO going. Jeffries is often heard talking about keeping AUDELCO on its mission to honor Black excellence. She talks about the members of the Board of Directors that are working with her to keep this organization going.
Really breaking down each role in theater Jeffries talked about what the elements of those roles are from the actors to the directors, playwrights and technical staff. She spoke with great love, passion and respect for people that create this beautiful means of telling our stories as only we can do.
I found this film to be incredibly moving as I personally knew Ms. Grace Jones and to hear her voice again and feel her love for AUDELCO in the taped interviews, it was inspiring. As Jones says in the film “We are often called the Black Tonys.” That gives one an idea of the gravity of these awards among our people.
The film includes every program with the honorees over the 53 years of the AUDELCOs and the best musical and best play winners, there are video moments with the winners over the years and there are moments of the phenomenal live performances that became an integral part of the awards and are still to this day.
Jeffries speaking of Robinson says, “Her mission is a mandate to have the Black Theater Awards every year … It’ all about love, us loving each other.”
As AUDELCO’s current President, Jeffries shared her journey and then fill maker and director Juney Smith gave a detailed background of her journey in life and her road to AUDELCO. It was captivating to watch. Her journey also demonstrated how theater is something she was born to do. Her dedication to AUDELCO is a Godsend to the Black Theater community.
The film screening was followed by a Talkback lead by Count Stovall which included Carl Clay, founder of Black Spectrum Theatre, Juney Smith — creator and director and Jackie Jeffries, President of AUDELCO. What people in the audience wanted to know is will there be more documentaries on AUDELCO and the answer was yes. I know I cannot wait!
This film offers viewers such an extraordinary behind the scenes look at the AUDELCO Awards creation, importance and why it is vital that it continue for years to come to celebrate what others ignore.
You should experience other works of this writer, director, producer as Smith has created over 37 feature films that include narrative and documentaries. He and Turman focus on producing documentary film about Black performing artist and performing arts institutions. Some of his documentary films include: “King of Stage: The Story of Woodie King Jr.” ; “King Arthur & The Count,” “Women of Theatre, New York: A Supreme Love,” “A Spectrum of Theatre: The Story of CARL CLAY” and “The Artistry of A. Dean Irby: Giving It All to the Art.”
To get more information about the documentary on AUDELCO look up “AUDELCO & Me” on https://vimeo.com.