Welcome! This year the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School celebrates15 years of excellence in the performing arts.

The Anthony Bean Community Theater (ABCT) was established in Spring 2000 to meet the growing demands of New Orleans area residents seeking a quality, culturally diverse, performing arts venue. The theater also met the needs of individuals seeking to learn the art of acting, set design and theatre management. In recent years, ABCT has become a vehicle to enter New Orleans' booming "Hollywood South" film industry.

ABCT is unique in that it is not only a major theater production company, but a year-round, open enrollment acting school serving both adults and children with an eclectic group of courses designed to meet the basic needs of individuals seeking careers in stage and screen acting, set design and theatre management.  

ABCT believes that the arts have the power to transform people's lives. Our Mission is simple: "to inspire those we serve through the magic of the arts."  The Hallmark of ABCT and that which separates us from "all the rest" is - diversity.  ABCT proudly presents the most diverse theater schedule in the New Orleans area.  Our programing fare includes, the classics; Shakespeare, August Wilson and Tennessee Williams as well as popular drama (Reflections and Misery), comedy (Jar the Floor, Steal Away), and musicals (The Color Purple, Simply Irma and The Phyllis Hyman Story). Most importantly, ABCT mounts original plays such as I'd Rather Be Rich and Say Amen, and showcases our talented kids in perennial favorites: Cats, The Wiz, High School Musical and 504.  

The goal of the ABCT Acting School is to provide an intense, high quality learning and performing opportunity in an atmosphere where young people are encouraged to set goals, take risks and view mistakes as an avenue for learning. ABCT opens students up to the greatness that lies within them and creates an awareness that the Arts are a constructive vehicle of personal expression.

Anthony Bean Community Theater boasts a full professional portfolio including video DVD Productions and an ABCT clothing line. In addition to children and adult acting classes, ABCT offers a youth theater, an after-school program, and the Anthony Bean Community Theater City Choir.  During the summer months, working in conjunction with the New Orleans Recreation Department Commission - ABCT also operates a summer day camp.

We at ABCT wish to express our sincere gratitude for your ongoing support over the past 15 years and we urge you to purchase your PASS for the upcoming season. Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you at our next production.

Come and celebrate our Anniversary and you will agree.

"ABCT IS MORE THAN THEATER

IT'S CULTURE!"

Back ABCT! Be a part of the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School! ABCT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all contributions are tax deductible. Donate today and keep the arts alive and exciting in our community!

2008-02-15 00:00:00.0

Written by Charles Fuller and Directed by Anthony Bean

New Orleans, La. February 1, 2008…The Anthony Bean Community Theater presents Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama “A Soldier’s Play, directed by Wilbert L Williams and starring its theater’s founder Anthony Bean and veteran actor Harold X. Evans.

A Soldier’s Play takes place in a Louisiana army camp in 1944. Capt. Taylor (Nick Thompson) the white C.O. has a problem. He commands a black company whose sergeant (Harold X Evans) has been murdered. He is worried the murderer may be a white officer or the local Klan. A black captain (Anthony Bean) is assigned to investigate and Taylor tries to discourage him because he feels the assigning of a black investigator means the case is to be swept under the rug. Capt. Davenport perseveres and, as he probes deeper, he finds the black soldiers are as corrupted with hatred as the whites. Each one had a motive for the killing. Davenport solves the case- and the truth is even more shocking than the murder itself. Tech/Sergeant Vernon C. Waters……………….Harold X. Evans
Captain Charles Taylor…………………………Nick Thompson
Corporal Bernard Cobb…………………………Sean Johnson Jr
Private First Class Melvin Peterson…………….Darryl Luther
Corporal Ellis……………………………………John McCann Jr
Private Louis Henson……………………………Bobby Toomer Jr
Private James Wilkie…………………………….James Brown
Private Tony Small……………………………….Edward Buckles
Captain Richard Davenport…………………… Anthony Bean
Private C. J. Memphis………………………… Dewey Moorman
Lieutenant Byrd………………………………….Matthew Madden
Captain Wilcox………………………………… T. J. Toups

(In order of appearance)

Tech/Sergeant Vernon C. Waters……………….Harold X. Evans
Captain Charles Taylor…………………………Nick Thompson
Corporal Bernard Cobb…………………………Sean Johnson Jr
Private First Class Melvin Peterson…………….Darryl Luther
Corporal Ellis……………………………………John McCann Jr
Private Louis Henson……………………………Bobby Toomer Jr
Private James Wilkie…………………………….James Brown
Private Tony Small……………………………….Edward Buckles
Captain Richard Davenport…………………… Anthony Bean
Private C. J. Memphis………………………… Dewey Moorman
Lieutenant Byrd………………………………….Matthew Madden
Captain Wilcox………………………………… T. J. Toups
Tech/Sergeant Vernon C. Waters……………….Harold X. Evans
Captain Charles Taylor…………………………Nick Thompson
Corporal Bernard Cobb…………………………Sean Johnson Jr
Private First Class Melvin Peterson…………….Darryl Luther
Corporal Ellis……………………………………John McCann Jr
Private Louis Henson……………………………Bobby Toomer Jr
Private James Wilkie…………………………….James Brown
Private Tony Small……………………………….Edward Buckles
Captain Richard Davenport…………………… Anthony Bean
Private C. J. Memphis………………………… Dewey Moorman
Lieutenant Byrd………………………………….Matthew Madden
Captain Wilcox………………………………… T. J. Toups

Starring
Anthony Bean

T J Toups as Captain Wilcox, Harold X Evans as Sgt. Waters & Matthew Madden as Lt. Byrd in A Soldier's Play

Nick Thompsom as Capt Taylor & cast in The Story's Play

Darryl Lutcher as PFC Peterson & Harold X Evans as Sgt. Water in A Solder's Play

Anthony Bean as Capt Davenport

Anthony Bean as Capt Davenport & Edward Buckles as Private Smalls

(L) James Brown as Private Wilkie, Dewey Moorman as Private C J Memphis & Harold X Evans as Sgt Waters

(L) Anthony Bean as Capt Davenport, Nick Thompson as Capt Taylor & Harold X Evans as Sgt Waters