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Authors of immortal prose to come aliveBy BRIDGETTE McCLOUD
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- For Gaylia Cole, portraying Margaret Mitchell as one of the "Famous Dead Authors" at the Times Festival of Reading this weekend is more than a chance to perform for an audience. It is a chance for Cole to educate others about the life of Mitchell, from her rural Atlanta upbringing to the creation of her novel Gone With the Wind. Cole, who will wear a long black dress and a velvet hat, will perform a 30-minute presentation. She also will interact with festivalgoers throughout the day as Mitchell. She is one of six community actors selected by the St. Petersburg Little Theatre to portray the Famous Dead Authors at the ninth annual festival at Eckerd College. Other authors being represented are Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker and Virginia Woolf. The actors have set their sights higher than just performing. George Graham, a third-grade teacher at Shore Acres Elementary, will depict Langston Hughes. He said he checked out several reference materials about Hughes that he will use during his presentation. Corinne Broskette coordinates the Famous Dead Authors. "They are encouraging young people to read. Their purpose is to educate as well as entertain," said Broskette, who has been dealing with the authors and the festival since it began 1992. The woman playing Dorothy Parker said: "They connect people to the names they have read about for years. It gives them a chance to learn more about the authors than just their written work." Cher Tanner, a Realtor and broker, will depict Parker. Broskette, co-founder of Venue Theatre Collectives Inc. in St. Petersburg, also wants the characters to be seen as ambassadors for history. "The Famous Dead Authors are a visual link between our present and past," she said. "They give us a chance to learn about history in a unique way." Nonie White, a 54-year-old actor who will portray author Virginia Woolf, agrees. "The concept of seeing authors come to life exposes people to a different type of learning," White said. "I think seeing it sparks something in people and makes them want to learn more."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
