Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing

The Ensemble Theatre Presents

Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing

Regional Premiere

Written by Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan

Who/What: The Ensemble Theatre Kicks Off its 2015-2016 season finale with Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing written by Try Ellis and Ricardo Khan, Directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, and Musical Direction with Original Songs by Carlton Leake.

Kansas City jazz filled nights awakened to cracks of baseball bats as change for Black Americans seemed enticingly close in 1947. Satchel Paige and many other all-stars flourished in Negro League Baseball, many of whom crossed color lines like Jackie Robinson who become the first Black player in modern major-league baseball. This story tells the triumphs and humanity of these players as business men and family men best described in Satchel Paige’s quote "Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching."

Charles Wesley Lattimore Jr. as Satchel Paige and Andre' Neal as Buck O'Neil

Florida artist, Charles Lattimore in the title role as Satchel Paige; and Houston Artists Andre’ Neal; Dave Harris; Kendrick Lattimore; Geovanny Acosta; An’tick Von Morphxing; Estee Burks; and Anthony Boggess-Glover.

Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing

The Ensemble Theatre's 2015-2016 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the official airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. Thirty-nine years later, the theatre has evolved from a touring company operating from the trunk of Mr. Hawkins’ car to being one of Houston’s finest historical cultural institutions. The Ensemble is one of a few professional theatres in the region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. The oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s largest African American theatres owning and operating its facility and producing in-house. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble’s $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997. The Ensemble Theatre has fulfilled and surpassed the vision of its founder and continues to expand and create innovative programs to bring African American theatre to myriad audiences.

Charles Westley Lattimore Jr. plays the title role in Satchel Paige & the Kansas City Swing. He is a native of Orlando, Florida and is making his Ensemble debut. As a Theatre major / Music minor he received a B. A. degree from Florida A&M University. Where he was elected by popular vote to be the first Mr. FAMU in the University’s existence. This talented and extraordinarily gifted artist has been seen and heard on stages across the country. Some of his credits include: It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues, the Jackie Robinson story, No Easy Walk the Rosa Parks Story, Piano Lesson, Five Guys Named Moe, Dreamgirls, The Wiz, Sophisticated Ladies, Fences, Blues for an Alabama Sky, All Night Strut, Good God Al’mighty and One Mo’ Time just to name a few. He’s also been spotted in Walmart commercials and Nickelodeon TV shows. This jack of all trades and master of most has taken his act internationally performing in Switzerland and neighboring countries.

Charles: I am fortunate to get to play Satchel Paige himself. A history maker, a phenomenal ball player, past what man would think was his prime. But the real longevity is in the fact that he played past his sixties and was still striking people out.

Charles: up until 1972. The wonderful thing about this age thing is that Satchel Paige was ageless. There was always these different rumors about his age because they never really told. He would never really say what his age was. One of his quotes was “How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you were?”

Theresa: He was definitely a great part of American history as well as our sports history.

Charles: That’s the wonderful part of theatre. Theatre can entertain, educate, it’s a ministry. It’s therapeutic, all of those things. When you come to the Theatre to experience…..we always tell people to COME, come, come and come. This is a way of giving back. It’s a way of paying it forward. So in order to experience live interaction with people to help people. Because one, we need to be employed. So please come see live theatre with live people and therefore, you get live information that you can take back into your communities and empower somebody.

Charles Wesley Lattimore Jr. as Satchel Paige

Charles: The director Pardro Harris called me. The way it was told to me, the story was that there were a few Satchel Paiges that they considered. But none fit the bill quite as I did. I did not have to audition (laughs). I got a phone call.

Charles: He said, you’re perfect. He was actually on Facebook and he saw this video of me playing around singing in the hallways of Florida. He’s like, “Who’s this guy?” and called me up and asked for my contact information. The rest is history.

Charles: When I was doing the Jackie Robinson story, I actually played several characters but not Jackie Robinson. I played Matt, his older brother who is an athlete himself. He was an Olympic runner, if I’m not mistaken.

Theresa: Matthew Mackenzie “Mack” Robinson won the silver medal in the 1936 Olympics.

Charles: I played other baseball players on the Negro league that we embody throughout. Then, I became a reporter that followed Jackie. So I got a chance to throw a ball or two.

Theresa: But this time, you’re the main man, the big Kahuna, the title role….

Charles: You learn about yourself when you do these parts and you connect with it. There’s always an extension of who you are within the character. That’s what I found with Satchel Paige. I’m not the athletic individual myself. But the me who I am wasn’t required for the gig. It was the me who I could be.

(L-R) Charles Wesley Lattimore Jr. as Satchel Paige and Dave Harris as Bob Feller

Theresa: And tonight you’re the great All-American All-Star Satchel Paige (laughs).

Charles: The fastest ball anywhere. He caught it so fast, you might have missed it (laughs).

Charles: Well in this play we do more than triple ‘cause we got to dance, sing, act, play ball, move furniture.

Charles: When it was originally written, it was written as a straight play. But with this rendition of the show here in Houston….

(L-R) Charles Wesley Lattimore Jr. as Satchel Paige, Director and Choreographer Patdro Harris and Musical Director Carlton Leake

Theresa: Carlton Leake composed the original lyrics and music. Have you been in many plays?

Charles: I am originally from Orlando, Florida. Born and raised and still based in Orlando. I’ve searched the globe and I’ve been everywhere. I still haven’t found a place quite like it.

Theresa: Were you affected when the recent bombing happened at Pulse Night Club?

Charles: The humanitarian in me emerged when it happened. Of course, there was an enormous amount of sympathy for the people who lost someone. But no one close to me or anybody that I knew was affected in any way. But of course because it is our community. Human life was greatly affected.

Charles: Hope to see you there. Support this wonderful institution that is here. Not for just this show but for shows to come. This theatre (The Ensemble theatre) and this work Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing.

Charles: Self-awareness, a sense of pride. Of course, you’ll be educated and entertained. To learn and know who this individual is and then as life goes, just start giving Credit where credit is due.

Charles Wesley Lattimore Jr. as Satchel Paige and Andrea Boronell as Mrs. Hopkins

Andrea Boronell who plays Mrs. Hopkins arrived in Houston after attending California State University in Sacramento where she earned a BA in Drama. While there Andrea performed in a variety of productions including Sacramento Theatre Company’s The Tempest, A Christmas Carol, Little Shop of Horrors, Music Circus, Hello Dolly and Cabin in The Sky. Since moving to Houston, Andrea has worked with the Houston Family Art Center in Crowns and The Ensemble in The Nacirema Society, The Man Who Saved New Orleans; Christmas with Great Aunt and Constant Star.

Andrea: I was the break dancing, pop locking (character) and a giant fishing boot.

Andrea: It was funny because I was in here goofing off one day and Patdro (Harris, the Director) saw me pop locking. He goes “You can pop lock?” So he puts it in the show (laughs).

Theresa: (Laughs) that’s right. Not only is he the Director, he is the choreographer. He saw that you can dance. Since this is a musical, you can also sing, so you can do both. Which makes you a triple threat also.

Andrea: I play Mrs. Hopkins. I am a widow. My husband passed away and I opened my home into a Bed and Breakfast. I needed to take care of my daughter and myself. The good thing is my B&B home is listed in a book that was set up to lead African Americans know where they can stay, where they can eat without having problems in the South and certain parts of the West.

Andrea: Yes! I have a teenage daughter who’s seventeen and basically raising her by myself.

Estee Burks as Moira Hopkins and Andrea Boronell as her mother Mrs. Hopkins

Andrea: The irony is that I didn’t audition. Eileen Morris (Artistic Director) called me and asked me to come over. I said, “Thank God” and “great”!

Andrea: Yes, she heard me sing with Christmas with Great Aunt. Also two years ago before Joe Sample died, he was an amazing jazz pianist. He was in a musical. We did a stage reading of it here (Ensemble Theatre) and I did that as well.

Theresa: Congratulations! You got the call and didn’t even have to audition for the role. I also saw you in Constant Star.

Andrea: You couldn’t have seen me in Constant Star. I was an understudy. An understudy is someone who learns the lines….

Andrea: No, there were five women. And they were all major parts. I learned the first two characters so that if anything happened, I would take one of those character’s places and they would rotate the other lines. But understudy is fine. You learned all the parts but you don’t have all the responsibility (laughs).

Theresa: This proves the strong correlation between theatre and education. I wouldn’t have known the story of Ida B. Wells if not for the Ensemble Theatre.

Andrea: True. I have heard of her but didn’t know much about her. It’s like this show now, Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing. I did not know much of anything except who Satchel Paige was. The interesting thing is that, I never thought of myself as feminine. I always thought of myself as strong and athletic. I was into sports from the fourth grade until my daughter was 3 years old. I played softball. I was the ball player. I didn’t think of femininity as being strong. Literally, doing the play Constant Star about Ida B. Wells made me realize that femininity and strength are not mutually exclusive. They can fit together.

Theresa: She was amazing. She was an African American female, born in the 1800s who became a journalist and a publisher. And she was competitive in a male dominated world. Truly inspiring. Are you from Houston originally?

Andrea: No, I’m like many Americans. I was born in Niagara Falls, New York but I grew up in New Mexico with my mother Diane. After getting married to a military person, I ended up in Sacramento California. I was there for a very long time. I visited Houston and fell in love with the city. Which is ironic since I came during Tropical storm Alice. But I fell in love with the city of Houston!

Theresa: How do you like the weather? Because not only do we have storms and floods, it’s actually very hot right now. I mean, we’re talking triple digit heat plus 100% humidity.

Andrea: (Laughs). I have to be honest. Generally in the summer time, I try to leave quickly. I’m a Theatre teacher so during the summer, I try to get out of here.

Andrea: Come! That’s the first thing I want to say, come. The citizens of Houston may not know that there is a giant opportunity to see live theatre here. There’s a plethora of theatre companies here. I don’t know if it’s true but I’ve heard that this is the second largest seating of theatre in America, second to New York. Don’t know if it’s true, I just know there’s a lot. People don’t know this but, people who do theatre in middle school or high school, they say they have higher reading levels. They do better on their test exams. They have a higher comprehension or problem solving ability. So just get involved in it! Come!

Theresa: If you love Jazz, the Swing, All-American baseball and a soulful story about the hardships and rewards of Life, love and music. Don’t miss Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing written by Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan, directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris with original music and lyrics by Carlton Leake. Now showing at the Ensemble Theatre on Main street through July 31, 2016.

Director and Choreographer Patdro Harris & Musical Director Carlton Leake

The Ensemble is one of a few professional theatres in the region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. The oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s largest African American theatres owning and operating its facility and producing in-house. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble’s $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997. The Ensemble Theatre has fulfilled and surpassed the vision of its founder and continues to expand and create innovative programs to bring African American theatre to myriad audiences.