There’s a new player joining the Pompano Beach Arts
By Samantha Davis
There’s a new player joining the theatre arts scene in Pompano Beach and if you haven’t already met him or heard of him, you probably will soon! Though he is new to Pompano, he is certainly not new to theatre. He comes with a wealth of experience and a burning desire to shake up the art scene in Pompano as well as expose its residents to quality theatre programming.
Meet Herman LeVern Jones, a 45-year theatre veteran from Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina. Jones received his Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Theatre and English from North Carolina State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). After touring all over the world, working with celebrities, starting theatre companies across the United States and positively impacting the lives of thousands of youth, adults and seniors, Jones is now putting down roots here in Pompano Beach.
His company, TheatreSouth Atlanta, Inc. (dba Herman LeVern Jones’ TheatreSouth) was recently selected to be a Cultural Alliance Member at the newly built Pompano Beach Cultural Center. Jones and his team have a season of four dynamic productions that is currently underway. The season is starting with a Christmas production called “A Civil War Christmas” written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel. The production is a family friendly adventure that takes place during the Christmas of 1864 and contains many of the Christmas songs that we all know and love such as Silent Night, I Heard the Bells, What Child is This?, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, The Holly and the Ivy, and O Christmas Tree.
Herman LeVern Jones and his team are not just in Pompano to put on a play, though. They have come with the desire to get to know Pompano residents and leadership on an inti-mate level by incorporating them into their theatre programming. Pompano Beach residents will have the opportunity Jones’ plays, regardless of their background or previous theatre experience.
“I believe in getting the community actively involved in theatre by giving them roles in my plays and providing the coaching they need to take their acting skills to the next level,” said Jones. “I also like to introduce people to the lucrative career opportunities that are available in the backstage realm of the theatre,” he added.
Jones has already cast several people from the Pompano Beach and surrounding communities in his first play, “A Civil War Christmas”.
In addition to community casting in his season of plays at the Cultural Center, Jones and his team will be offering the community acting workshops, individual and group coaching, entertainment at Pompano events, theatre consulting, directing assistance and any service that will elevate the theatre arts in Pompano Beach.
Jones and his team have discovered that there are many up and coming performers in Pompano Beach who are looking for opportunities to shine on stage and advance in their artistic career. Having several decades of experience in the theatre, Jones fully realizes the challenges of being an artist, especially a new or aspiring artist. His goal is to show Pompano residents that a career in the theatre can be a very fulfilling and rewarding line of work. He has helped many high school students get accepted into prestigious performing arts institutions and launched countless artists’ careers and he certainly plans to do the same thing here in Pompano.
“I am convinced that there are some very talented artists here in Pompano with the potential to make it to Broadway or even the big screen. They just need an opportunity. Esther Rolle was a good friend of mine and she was from Pompano Beach. That’s a huge inspiration to Pompano residents and my goal to is to create more success stories like Esther’s. I want Pompano residents to have some of the incredible experiences I’ve had in theatre.”
Jones and his company are members of the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and have begun forming relationships with various entities such as Blanche Ely High School, Pompano Beach Middle School, Ocean Spirit Recovery, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, PF Insurance, and the Tiger Trail Committee to name a few.
They are in Pompano for the long haul and they’re here for residents who are looking for opportunities and engagement with theatre arts.
