{"id":4175,"date":"2014-09-18T16:51:46","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T16:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/?p=4175"},"modified":"2014-09-18T16:51:46","modified_gmt":"2014-09-18T16:51:46","slug":"jsu-alum-prince-duren-presents-like-fine-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/2014\/09\/18\/jsu-alum-prince-duren-presents-like-fine-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"JSU alum Prince Duren presents \u201cLike Fine Wine\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
JSU alum Prince Duren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the first time on the Rose E. McCoy main stage, national award-winning playwright and Jackson State University alumnus, Prince Duren, will present his new play, \u201cLike Fine Wine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The playwright and director, who is also an instructor in the JSU Department of Speech and Theatre, explained that his play is about following one\u2019s dreams and never giving up on one\u2019s hopes and passion.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Fine Wine\u201d is a story about dreams that never die. The story revolves around Caleb \u201cSax\u201d Sanders, a blue collar cab driver from Memphis, Tenn. who was once on the brink of breaking into the business as a famous jazz musician.<\/p>\n

Life threw him a curveball and he was forced to put his dreams on hold. An old friend visits him on 50th birthday and sees a once renown musician a shell of his former self. Caleb questions whether he should pursue his once deferred dream or be content with his life and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was inspired to write this play from an episode I watched of \u201cThe Wayans Brothers\u201d. The characters Marlon and Shawn Williams tried to reunite their father, Pops Williams, with his old group the Temptones. Pops Williams eventually did reconnect with his group and experienced a second chance to live out he dreams. That\u2019s what this play is about,\u201d said Duren.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe title of the play, \u201cLike Fine Wine,\u201d was significant because it reminded me of the saying \u201cit only gets better with time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Duren hopes that audiences are educated, inspired, and fully entertained by the live band performances throughout the play.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only is this play appropriate for adults but for children as well,\u201d said Duren.<\/p>\n

Duren admits that directing the play was challenging because sometimes he found himself getting too connected.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the play arranged in my mind, how I want it done and how I want it performed, so if it is not performed the way I have it mapped out in my mind, we have to do it all over again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Duren\u2019s mission as a playwright is to introduce his people (African-Americans) to something different other than the same old drama. He invites audiences to come prepared for a show -stopping, music- filled, family drama.<\/p>\n

He is also currently working on his first gospel play called \u201cThe Walls of the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Fine Wine\u201d will run from Sept. 25-29, with the first showing at 7:30 p.m.\u00a0 Tickets are $5 for children and senior citizens and $10 general admission. For tickets, drop by the box office in the lobby of the Rose McCoy Auditorium, Monday- Friday from 12-5p.m. or call the Box Office at (601)979-5956. Tickets are also available online: 10.14.12.245\/speechandtheatre.<\/p>\n

Chereigna Dixon contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the first time on the Rose E. McCoy main stage, national award-winning playwright and Jackson State University alumnus, Prince Duren, will present his new play, \u201cLike Fine Wine.\u201d The playwright and director, who is also an instructor in the JSU Department of Speech and Theatre, explained that his play is about following one\u2019s dreams […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4175","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-campus-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4175\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}