Spoken Words keeps the history of the Ritz alive
Theatre celebrates its 10th anniversary after rebuilding from ruins
Jacquelyn Yulee
Issue date: 9/15/09 Section: Entertainment
The lights are dimmed and the microphone is on. The host gets up to share a poem or two until the poets amongst the crowd are ready to proceed.
Every first Thursday, the Ritz Theatre and Museum opens its doors to anyone who has something to say, poetically speaking, in a family-oriented atmosphere. The lobby is transformed into an open-mic café so that anyone can get up and share spoken words written on paper or in his or her heart.
The Ritz is celebrating ten years of restored culture and history after its doors were re-opened Sept. 24, 1999. The original Ritz Theatre was opened in 1929 as a theatre in the old Lavilla area of downtown Jacksonville, Fl.
As one of the oldest communities in Jacksonville, Fla., the Ritz Theatre stands in place of the old construction. It once held remains of the old theatre that attracted moviegoers, mainly patrons of the African-American middle-class community. Today, poets of all ages and ethnicities speak up through their thoughts of grief and happiness to preserve the history of the old Lavilla community.
"The original inspiration came from a young man who was a poet and did a play when the Ritz first opened," said Lydia Stewart, the event coordinator at the Ritz Theatre.
"Kenneth Walker said, 'Hey, this is a great place for poetry,'" said Stewart.
Stewart told Walker that if he could find some people to come out and perform then she would allow a poetry night at least once a month.
Derrick Bolton, the host filling in for Allen James on Sept. 3, opened the evening with "Ms. Wright" written for his mother.
"It was the first poem I performed when I first came to the Ritz," said Bolton.
Bolton and James have been hosting together for seven years, tag teaming on the microphone in between poets during Spoken Word night at the Ritz. Bolton said that after two or three months of performing at the Ritz, he was approached by James and was asked to become a co-host.
Aside from a few of the poems that Bolton performed Sept. 3, he took a moment to mention the best part of coming out to perform or listen to the poets perform: "It's free!"
Every first Thursday, the Ritz Theatre and Museum opens its doors to anyone who has something to say, poetically speaking, in a family-oriented atmosphere. The lobby is transformed into an open-mic café so that anyone can get up and share spoken words written on paper or in his or her heart.
The Ritz is celebrating ten years of restored culture and history after its doors were re-opened Sept. 24, 1999. The original Ritz Theatre was opened in 1929 as a theatre in the old Lavilla area of downtown Jacksonville, Fl.
As one of the oldest communities in Jacksonville, Fla., the Ritz Theatre stands in place of the old construction. It once held remains of the old theatre that attracted moviegoers, mainly patrons of the African-American middle-class community. Today, poets of all ages and ethnicities speak up through their thoughts of grief and happiness to preserve the history of the old Lavilla community.
"The original inspiration came from a young man who was a poet and did a play when the Ritz first opened," said Lydia Stewart, the event coordinator at the Ritz Theatre.
"Kenneth Walker said, 'Hey, this is a great place for poetry,'" said Stewart.
Stewart told Walker that if he could find some people to come out and perform then she would allow a poetry night at least once a month.
Derrick Bolton, the host filling in for Allen James on Sept. 3, opened the evening with "Ms. Wright" written for his mother.
"It was the first poem I performed when I first came to the Ritz," said Bolton.
Bolton and James have been hosting together for seven years, tag teaming on the microphone in between poets during Spoken Word night at the Ritz. Bolton said that after two or three months of performing at the Ritz, he was approached by James and was asked to become a co-host.
Aside from a few of the poems that Bolton performed Sept. 3, he took a moment to mention the best part of coming out to perform or listen to the poets perform: "It's free!"