WS Chronicle

Tickets are now on sale for the premiere of “Horizons Memorial,” a new play written by award-winning playwright Samm-Art Williams.

It will open on March 22 at the Arts Council Theatre, 610 Coliseum Drive. Additional performances will be March 23 – 24.

The play is presented by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NCBRC), and is being directed by Mabel Robinson, a Tony award nominee and Broadway veteran.

The play focuses on the history of the property in Northern Forsyth County that presently houses the Horizons Residential Care Center, which serves those with physical and developmental disabilities. The site was originally an orphanage for African American children that opened in the early 1900s and was active until 1972. The play highlights the historical significance of the property through the eyes of the children who lived there as orphans and through the eyes of employees who work there now, caring for children who have little understanding of their surroundings.

The boards of directors of Horizons and the North Carolina Black Repertory Company commissioned Williams to write this play to commemorate Horizons’ 40th Anniversary.  Williams, originally from Burgaw, N.C., has a long resume featuring acting roles and producing TV shows and Broadway plays.

“There is tremendous historical significance of the property, not only to the African American community, but the entire community,” said David Adams, Horizons’ CEO . “The site was originally named the Memorial Industrial School, but it was also known as the Colored Baptist Orphanage. Several generations of children were raised and educated on the site until 1972, when it closed and the property was transferred to Horizons.”

Tickets are available at the NCBRC office, 610 Coliseum Drive or at ncblackrep.org. Prices are $22, $18 for seniors, and $15 for students. For more information, call 336-723-7907.