Africa, In Words And Music

It is an exciting trip through time. And, by the final curtain call, these children will have learned that there is much more to Africa--and Africans, for that matter--than what they might have seen in old movies.

This ambitious historical saga, playing to enthusiastic audiences throughout the District of Columbia, is called From Africa to America. Unlike most film epics, with their towering sets and casts of thousands, this one has but a few hand-painted backdrops-- including an African village with little thatched huts--and a small but talented cast of about a dozen Whittier teachers. Though the production is decidedly low-budget--one can hear the footsteps of the stagehands rushing to draw down the curtain, and the needle on the record player skips now and then--it nonetheless offers many moments of high drama.

For example, as Rosa Parks takes her rightful place at the front of the bus, the cast members begin to sing "We Shall Overcome.'' And the song is quickly picked up, without prompting, by the children, who seem to have been born knowing all the words. And, for just one moment, there is a magical connection, a hot spark that bridges the gap between the...