Studer Community Institute

Up-Stars brings MLK and Mandela to Pensacola

January 30, 2015
/ Reggie Dogan
/ community-dashboard

Martin Luther King never met Nelson Mandela, but the great leaders fought for the same cause at the same time on different continents. In Pensacola, the two men will meet this weekend in a stage play. “MLK and Mandela” captures the lives of the iconic, legendary leaders who made a big difference and changed a world. Written, directed and performed by Lawrence Gamell, the play opens at the Elk’s Lodge in the historic Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood. Josephine Mayo, a local actor and singer, is the narrator. “It’s entertaining and educational,” said Gamell, a full-time actor whose career in movies and stage plays has spanned four decades. “I have a pretty good following and this should be good family entertainment.” The show’s opening coincides with Black History Month’s kickoff in February. [sidebar] “MLK and Mandela” opens on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. A matinee will show at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1. Repeat performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb 7, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8. Tickets are $10. The shows will be at upstairs at the Elks Lodge, 304 N. Coyle St., in Pensacola. For more information or if you’re interested in auditioning for upcoming shows, email Lawrence Gamell at [email protected] [/sidebar] The play focuses on King and Mandela as they navigate through the tumultuous times of the human rights struggles in the U.S. and South Africa during the 1950s and ’60s. Gamell, a trained thespian, plays the role of King and Mandela, as well as Malcolm X, Robert F. Kennedy and President Barack Obama. Gamell has garnered several awards in his acting career, including two Cox Cable/MAC Producing Awards and The Richard Allen Theatre Guild Directors Award. He has appeared in nearly 140 plays and productions. He can be seen in his most recent film, “Ardennes Fury,” a World War II story that takes place in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Mountains on the Western Front in northwest Europe. An adjunct professor at Pensacola State College, Gamell produces and directs plays locally when he’s not on the road making films or performing in stage plays. Gamell’s company, The Up-Stars Groupe, produced "MLK and Mandela," the first of its kind showcased in the historic Belmont-DeVilliers district. It’s also the first time a play will be performed at the Elk’s Lodge. Gamell looks forward to bringing more shows throughout the year. Next season, he wants to add classic plays, featuring American playwrights like August Wilson. “I want to do live productions in Pensacola,” he said. “This is the beginning of all-original plays this season.”

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Up-Stars brings MLK and Mandela to Pensacola

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