April 12, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 25, Issue 12
The enSemBLe TheaTRe
ViRTUaLLY ‘FeedS SoULS’ oF The commUniTY WiTh one PoT oF GUmBo
14-YeaR-oLd comedian, KidPReneUR: “YoU aRe noT GoinG To oUTWoRK me!” By: N.L. Preston
By: N.L. Preston
HOUSTON - Funny, talented, real, raw and humble are words many use to describe someone who’s “lived more than a few years,” but speaking to 14-year-old TJ Boyce III, you realize some wise folks have been grooming this young man, and more importantly, he’s been listening. African-American News&Issues had the pleasure of interviewing the multi-talented actor, comedian and current entrepreneur who spoke about his upbringing, his influences today and his plans for the future. From a very young age, Thomas James Boyce III, also known as TJ, could always make people laugh with his big personality and charm. He first appeared in local theatre at the age of 8 where he took to acting and entertaining natu-
“I learned that I’m not trying to work for anybody.” rally. He had discovered his passion, and soon after, officially hit the spotlight auditioning and appearing in TV shows and commercials in Los Angeles. But there were some things he learned along the way, primarily, learning to embrace who he was and acknowledging certain differences.
The Houston native went to Cypress Christian private school for nine years and was, for most of the time, either the only black student in the entire school or in his grade. That experience, he explains, heightened his awareness on multicultural issues. “I understood both my perspective and the white community’s perspective on social and political issues. I felt alone as a race. It was a struggle,” TJ said. “I was someone who was not informed about politics, and they were. One of the hardest times was when Donald Trump was elected president because they felt like I represented the Democratic party being black. I experienced bullying. It was a culture shock.” A pleasant reverse was when TJ had the opportunity to attend public school. He was enrolled at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) for only a short while before he went off to be a part of the new Wayne Brady Show. He channeled his experiences from school into material for standup comedy. “In those two months that I spent at public school, I learned a lot about myself and diversity, I didn’t know what it was like to have black classmates and a black teacher,” TJ said. “As a comedian, it has given me great content to talk about in an interesting perspective. I have learned about myself and who I was, and what it meant to be black.” BYUtv network’s new comedy competition series, “Wayne Cont’d on page 2
HOUSTON -- “We are all in this together. This pot of gumbo is to feed everybody,” said Eileen Morris, artistic director for Houston’s legendary The Ensemble Theatre. In times of darkness, historically, African Americans turn to arts and expressions to get them through. Either through song, dance or even comedy, Blacks culturally tap into their creative souls to lift their spirits. You can see it playing out on social media today while almost the entire world is self-quarantining and social distancing during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic. People have invited the public directly into their homes as they post TikTok videos of them dancing, making up their own “Coronavirus” songs -- some of which have gone viral -- and even world famous DJs and singers are hosting virtual happy hours and concerts, inviting people to sing along, dance and, in essence, fellowship together to get them through the trying times. And keeping up with the ‘new normal,’ The Ensemble Theatre is jumping into the virtual world, providing arts and expression as a method of much-needed therapy for its staff, volunteers and the community. “Both African Americans and artists are survivors, period. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to understand what art does and they take it for granted, but we are all painters, musicians, actors, writers, singers in our own ways and personal journeys,” Morris said. “None of this is going to be easy. What is happening today is going to have its own set of challenges, even for The Ensemble. Although we’ve had to cancel our last three shows of the season and our gala, we have created an online presence.” The theatre company has adapted to the nation’s new social distancing norms by launching The Ensemble Theatre BOLD Online Series: The Story Continues! on April 6. The dedicated artists from the theatre will host workshops, showcase online performances, words of encouragement chat sessions, readings for children, etc., all which can be viewed for free. There will be Message Mondays, Throwback Theatre Moments Thursdays and Family Fun Fridays, for starters. “We are creating other stories now that are going to be engaging to our audiences and connect. We want to let everyone know that we are still here - The Ensemble is 43 years old -- and because of the commitment our community has made to us by coming to see our plays and supporting us, we want to let the world know that the work still continues,” Morris said. Aside from work, Morris is keeping her personal life balanced, using the time “away from the office” to keep her beloved family safe. To stay healthy - mind, body and spirit - Morris takes a daily walk with her 87-year-old mother, Imelda Benson. “We live in Acres Home so we live on an acre. We walk that acre maybe one and half times every day. We do some stretches
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WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE