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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > May > 24 > Entry
Play brings back beloved writer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re not exactly the sort to enlist “Ghost Whisperer” thespian Jennifer Love Hewitt anytime soon, but there were more than a few coincidences when Buzz arrived in the square in Marietta on Sunday afternoon.
It was the very first table reading of “Turned Funny,” the theatrical adaptation of our much-loved, late AJC colleague Celestine Sibley’s memoir. The world premiere of this “play with music,” thoughtfully adapted by Atlanta playwright Phillip DePoy, will open the venerable theater’s 25th season Aug. 9.
As strong, freshly brewed coffee (one of the columnist’s favorite beverages) scented the rehearsal space above Powder Springs Street, Theatre in the Square’s Palmer Wells, Jessica Phelps West and M.J. Conboy gathered with actors and staff to conjure up the script.
At times, actress Jackie Prucha, reading the lead role for the workshop, was an eerie reminder of the legendary scribe. The Southern accent she used, her spirit and the oversized horn-rimmed glasses she wore were all reminiscent of the writer.
While we assumed Prucha was using the glasses as a prop, she sheepishly conceded later that her regular glasses had broken. She dug out Celestine-like specs just before the reading.
The play’s first act focuses on Sibley’s eccentric upbringing in Alabama and Florida. The act ends with the young reporter being hired at the Atlanta Constitution. The second act focuses on Sibley’s expansive 60-year AJC career.
For the columnist’s many admirers, the play’s opening scene packs an emotional wallop. It opens in 1999 with Sibley reading a newspaper at her beloved Sweet Apple log cabin. Her first words?
“Well, I’m dead. I know this because I’m reading my obituary. That’s what you might call a dead giveaway.”
As if we needed any further evidence that Sibley’s spirit was in the air? When we arrived, the single available parking space on the entire square was directly in front of a bright blue AJC newspaper box .
T.I. tour continues
Atlanta rapper-actor T.I. resumes his concert schedule tonight in Anaheim, Calif. The tour came to a tragic stop May 3 in Cincinnati when his longtime friend and personal assistant Philant Johnson was killed. On BET’s “106 & Park” Monday, the 26-year-old, born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., said that “Big Phil would kick my [behind]” if he stopped.
Other dates include Thursday in San Diego and Friday in Los Angeles. The tour tentatively ends June 5 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. No arrests have been made in Johnson’s death.
More lyrical ideas for Woodruff Park
Lyrics continue to arrive at Buzz Central for the city’s forthcoming Woodruff Park theme song, celebrating the park’s recent renewal. “It’s Buckhead!” belter Melanie Massell has agreed to take some of the sample lyrics from Buzz readers and integrate them into the final ditty. Here’s another batch of ideas submitted by a reader. “A six-acre park was given a hand/By an unknown donor named Woodruff/ Who saved a piece of the land/Through plantings and sculptures and fountains by two/An effort was made to make everything bright and new.” If you’d like to try your hand, e-mail buzz@ajc.com.
Celebrity birthdays
Musician Bob Dylan is 65. Singer Patti LaBelle is 62. Actress Priscilla Presley is 61. Actor Eric Close (“Without a Trace”) is 39. Rapper Heavy D is 39. Guitarist Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes is 37. Country singer Billy Gilman is 18.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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