The North Carolina A&T Department of Visual and Performing Arts will be reviving the story of the coming of Christ this December in their performance of the Black Nativity play by Langston Hughes.

The Black Nativity play is a gospel musical that chronicles the birth of Jesus Christ through songs and dances of praise and worship.  The narration of the story allows the audience a full experience of the biblical story of the birth of the Messiah. 

The Black Nativity play has been performed at A&T every Christmas season since 1986.  Associate Professor Frankie Day, theater arts program director and executive director of Paul Robeson Theater, said that the only year Black Nativity was not performed was in 1990 when the department decided to perform “Road to Bethlehem” instead.  Edward B. Ford, who was the chancellor at the time, asked the VPA to perform the Black Nativity story again after that one year without it and it has been the primary December performance since then.  “The Wiz” was also shown for the first and only time in that same year.

Day stated that even though the Black Nativity play is performed every year, the audience still has the chance to experience something slightly new each time.  “What makes it unique is that every director brings their own directorial little niche to it,” Day said.  “Each director brings their own little touch to it, so that’s what makes it different every year, but the story stays the same.  It’s a biblical story so it never changes; the story never changes but just a touch from the directors.  Some add a song here or there, or their creative input.” 

Gregory J. Horton, associate professor of theater arts, will be director of the Black Nativity play for the first time this year.  Horton has usually been the resident costume designer for the play but he plans to bring his own touch to the production itself this time.  Horton said that in the past the nativity story has been done in various ways, including with hip-hop, but he plans to get back to tradition.

“Black Nativity is usually our largest show, our biggest show,” Horton said.  “I think it’s a traditional piece that we’ve done, which is why we’ve done it so long, because it’s kind of like the ‘Black Christmas Carol’.  It sort of brings families together during, the yuletide season to come celebrate his birth and I think it’s a great way to do it.”  

Horton stated that even though the show has been done all over, including in Winston-Salem and Durham, he feels the A&T show has uniqueness that people value. The play will keep its traditional African-style community call and the traditional opening African dance, but it will be presented like a regular church service with a minister and choir. 

The play will open with the song “Total Praise” and this year the kings will be singing “We Three Kings” as they come to lay their gifts down to baby Jesus.  Horton also hinted at a surprise ending for this year’s show, which he stated he could not share at the time.”It’s going to end with a really big bang,” Horton said.  “There’s a surprise in there, but if I can say anything about the show this year, we’re going back to tradition.”  Odori Miyako Hines, a senior psychology and theater major from Charleston, S.C., said he believes that this year’s play will be far more spiritually uplifting than those of the past.  Hines has acted in the Black Nativity show for three years, but this year he will be assisting in the production as a stage manager.

“I expect it to be probably the best Black Nativity that I have ever seen,” Hines said.  “Just the different songs and the different cast, because this time the cast is more dedicated to delivering God’s word, so when people hear it it’s going to have a significant impact on how they’re feeling, or what they’re feeling, or what they’re doing.”

The performance will be shown from December 4-7 in Harrison Auditorium.  A&T students will be admitted free with Aggie One cards. 

General admission will be $15, children age 12 and under will be charged $5, and for senior citizens and non-A&T students there is a $10 fee.

• Marcus Thompson