City Of Hope aka (COH), is a remarkable dramatic soul stirring and emotional stage production. The production centers around a few families whose tales of Christmas time past and present. The story takes the viewer on a remarkable journey of hard times living in the city, overcoming obstacles faced even in the time of strong adversity and tumultuous events, somehow ones faith and hope is restored. COH reminds the viewer of the true meaning of CHRISTMAS and what it’s like to be a community that cares for its fellow neighbor in times past. The reality of this dramatic stage production though we all may NOT experience immediate deliverance, we can expect that one day CHANGE will come and it is that hope which lies within that gives us strength to press on.
COH takes place in an inner city community that though is filled with violence and struggles; it’s a community of love, and deter- mination for change. The Crawford family has just moved into the neighborhood, having fallen on hard times, they find themselves back in the “hood” where they begin to soon remember and revalue those things they once had but had forgotten. Meanwhile, you have Walker family who refuses to give in to their surrounding and circumstances and when faced with the ultimate of life’s trial, it is through their FAITH that hope becomes ALIVE, and it is during the season of giving unselfishly the families are mended, hearts healed, faith restored, and peace within the gates. However nothing is never as it appears and there are struggles everywhere. COH reminds us how hearts are harden and jealously is cruel, yet when “love” REACHES the core of a man, it is then shown how the LOVE OF GOD makes a heart of stone flesh. The Watson family pillar of the community seems unable to be cut a break when their world spirals out of control as a loved one faces an addiction that suddenly forces their reality of they too need help and that no one is above reproach.
COH takes us back to rush, hustle and bustle of the day, when there was a Woolworth & Woolco, Hanes, Two Guys, and the leading chain Bambergers and during the Holiday Season the festivities of the stores was so bright! Remember having fun down at the local Loews Theater and the lay away plans that most stores offered without a credit card. COH takes us to a time when neighbors where indeed neighbors and borrowing a cup a sugar, milk or butter was not considered a bad thing. Remember it being too cold and house play was the thing – remember the caroling of Symphony Hall, Barringer, COED, NEWARK TECH, NEWARKS ACADEMY and the famous Newark Boys Choir? Oh, BCC takes us back to a common and joyous time.
City Of Hope reminds us that there’s HOPE IN THE CITY! The stage production reminds us that not only our families are worth fighting for, but our communities are valued and worth the fight. The spirit of CHRISTMAS reminds us of the purpose of the holiday and that it is the enemies desire to take CHRIST out of CHRISTMAS which COH reminds us without CHRIST there would be no CHRISTMAS, it would just be another holiday. Brick by Brick we see a community revived, families restored, and life re- newed.
