Playwright and Director Discuss New Work and Inspire Students

On Friday, theatre arts students welcomed E. Patrick Johnson, writer and Rajendra Maharaj, director of "Sweet Tea."

The play, based on an award-winning book, explores the lives of the southern gay black community. Johnson says he got the idea to write a book exploring this issue after attending a picnic in 1995, hosted by a black HIV/AIDS outreach program.

"I was seated not too far from a group of older gentlemen who were talking about their experiences of being black and gay in the south. What struck me is that I had never heard these stories, they had never been written down. These were gentlemen who had grown up in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. I decided at that moment, 16 years ago, that when I got the resources and time off I would go back and collect their stories," said Johnson.

Johnson, a tenured professor at Northwestern University, has written two books. He, along with "Sweet Tea" director Rajendra Maharaj, are passionate about this body of work. Maharaj has accomplished many great things including being a guest faculty member at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. In the midst of discussing the one- man show, Johnson and Maharaj took a turn and began to encourage and inspire students with their words. Maharaj spoke of a defining moment in his life.

"My parents made me go to St. John's University. I got accepted to North Carolina School of the Arts, and they would not allow me to apply to Howard because they said the world is not black. My father told me we did not come to America so you could be a gypsy and wear tights and put on shows", said Maharaj. "I wasn't strong enough and I didn't have my mother's support and my siblings didn't understand theatre, but my mother took me to every show which is how I fell in love with theatre. My parents sent me to India where I fasted and prayed. In prayer, God told me I was destined for a life in the theatre."

Every student in attendance watched in awe as Mr. Maharaj revealed that he was homeless in New York and began to question God as to why he would "bring me this far to leave me."

With both artists' stories, students were left with a lasting impression.

"The speakers were very interesting and informative. They discussed their new production, which is something different, but worth seeing. I appreciate the in depth look at the profession of theatre they provided. They also bridged the gap between theatre majors and non-majors because of their stories of passion and struggle," said senior political science major, Steven Greer. "I found them very inspiring and thought provoking. I look forward to seeing the show ‘Sweet Tea,'" he said.