

Free Base March
There was an Anti-Drug protest march of East Bay youth throughout Oakland that culminated with a Special Presentation of the play featured in the Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) 24 April 1989, Mon· Page 9 SIGNING “Can’t You Feel a New Day” about 100 youngsters from the drug-ridden Acorn housing project paraded about a mile yesterday through Oakland streets to attend an anti-drug play. The children, who walked to Beckett’s a nightclub in Jack London Square, were guests at a free performance of “Free Base Ain’t Free” a play with a strong message about the dangers of crack cocaine use. “It’s just like a field trip for them” said Darrell Hampton, a counselor at the Acorn Community Center. “I told the basketball team to get the dance group and the dance group to get the kids that hang out at the park,” Hampton said of the recruitment effort that quickly mushroomed as word spread about the performance. The children were treated to popcorn and soda. “They can mess up your life” said 10-year-old Kim Stephany of drugs. The performance was sponsored by KidsCorp, a nonprofit group assisted by Hayward Nissan/Chrysler Plymouth. I, Abdul-Jalil Co-Executive Produced it and performed a Starring DOU role of Characters in the play as: 1) OMEN: In his forties. Ex-Millionaire, out of shape and hair unkept. 2) Chuck: Professional baseball player-pitcher. Strong athletic build, in his mid-twenties. It was a very challenging opportunity to portray an aging ex-millionaire in his 40’s at the same time being a young, rapping, strapping athletic 20 year old Baseball pitcher at the top of my game! I was able to do so because I am VERY close to those ORIGINAL characters the parts were developed from and know them in REAL LIFE!
