Drama professor gains new audience
"Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins" expanded
Iris Towery
Issue date: 3/10/06 Section: A&E
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Allen Taylor has been working on his one-man show "Walkin' Talkin' with Bill Hawkins... In Search of my Father," for ten years now. Taylor, a drama instructor at College of Marin, has honed his performance and production on campus. In January he opened his one-man show at The Marsh, a stage area in Berkeley's Gaia Building.
"Walkn' Talkin' with Bill Hawkins" describes Allen Taylor's attempts to gather more information about Bill Hawkins, Taylor's father. Taylor only learned about Bill Hawkins following Hawkins' death. Hawkins was the first African American disc Jockey in Columbus, Ohio.
"Every time I have done this show it's been different," said Taylor, "I continue to get new information about my father."
The COM community played a crucial role in development of Taylor's play. Taylor noted that the current production is "radically different" from the way it was at COM. For one thing, the stage at the Marsh is larger than College of Marin's. For another, a new discovery of sound recordings of Bill Hawkins' voice on the radio has led to even more changes in the script.
"Walkin' Talkin with Bill Hawkins... In Search of my Father" is playing at The Marsh Theater in the Gaia Building, and the performances have been extended through March 19. To purchase tickets call The Marsh box office at (800) 838-3006, or go to their Web site at www.themarsh.org .
"Walkn' Talkin' with Bill Hawkins" describes Allen Taylor's attempts to gather more information about Bill Hawkins, Taylor's father. Taylor only learned about Bill Hawkins following Hawkins' death. Hawkins was the first African American disc Jockey in Columbus, Ohio.
"Every time I have done this show it's been different," said Taylor, "I continue to get new information about my father."
The COM community played a crucial role in development of Taylor's play. Taylor noted that the current production is "radically different" from the way it was at COM. For one thing, the stage at the Marsh is larger than College of Marin's. For another, a new discovery of sound recordings of Bill Hawkins' voice on the radio has led to even more changes in the script.
"Walkin' Talkin with Bill Hawkins... In Search of my Father" is playing at The Marsh Theater in the Gaia Building, and the performances have been extended through March 19. To purchase tickets call The Marsh box office at (800) 838-3006, or go to their Web site at www.themarsh.org .