HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – WAVY Digital Desk Host Sarah Goode spoke with Hampton playwright Marie St. Clair in a Community Chat about Juneteenth around Hampton Roads and her play, “A Juneteenth Pageant.” Watch the conversation in the video player on this page.
Tonight at 6 p.m. bring the entire family to watch “A Juneteenth Pageant“ at the Northampton Community Center, 1435 Todds Lane, Building A. The play is presented by the Hampton History Museum with Fort Monroe Authority serving as a sponsor. The show is free and open to the public.
The museum has worked with St. Clair on Juneteenth programming for years. She says the type of show has varied, with mixes of poetry, speeches, music, and theater.
St. Clair says this year’s Juneteenth programming is different than previous shows. It will be a little bit of everything, poetry, music, and spoken word. And, the storyline is centered around a pageant, and women from different backgrounds. According to the flyer, “In the play the contestants not only display their outer beauty but will also reveal their internal struggles.”
With today’s world of social media standards and other pop culture influences, St. Clair says the show is particularly relevant.
“It’s a wonderful play to bring young people to because we talk about body image, inadequacies felt by women because we can’t compare to magazines and TV,” said St. Clair, “so along with sharing the history of Juneteenth, we’re also talking about those kind of issues so that we can leave empowered as not only women but as people.”
St. Clair hopes the play will encourage families to have conversations about personal empowerment and Juneteenth.
There is a variety of other Juneteenth programming happening around Hampton Roads. What St. Clair hopes people will take from the events is the real message and history. She does not want people to lose sight of the true reason for the celebration.
“People like me and many, many others, we really feel like it is our duty to make sure that we start that foundation of history, the background, then we can build up on that to issues that face us today,” St. Clair said.
St. Clair says one of the events she hopes Hampton Roads will put together for future Juneteenth holidays is a parade.
Watch the full Community Chat to hear more about what to expect in tonight’s show.
