Washington Informer staff writer Dorothy Rowley’s eagerly awaited “A Tribute to Motown Legend Smokey Robinson” was presented as an encore performance May 31 at the Southside Community Center in Richmond, Va.
The play, presented in two acts, provides a musical chronology of Robinson’s path to stardom, including accolades as “America’s Greatest Songwriter” and the “Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize” award. The 90-minute production, first presented in March, was once again well-received by a mesmerized audience, who gave the flashy show a resounding round of applause and standing ovation.
“It’s meant a lot to have people embrace my work as they have, particularly this being my first time out the gate with a stage production,” Rowley said. “It’s important for our African-American communities to gain cultural, social [and] economic value through the performing arts and cultural awareness. Therefore, I’m very attuned to writing and producing stories aimed at bringing such aspects of life to our communities, in hopes they’ll become part of their collective memories.”
Rowley is now working on her next play, “Praying with One Eye Open,” which depicts a family in turmoil and how they use the power of prayer to conquer doubt, frustration and fear.