Auto company General Motors recently announced it is shutting down production at five plants across North America, leaving thousands of workers without jobs. These real-world events are mirrored in the Atlanta production of "Skeleton Crew." The play follows a tight-knit group of workers at the only auto stamping plant left in Detroit at the height of the Great Recession.

Director of "Skeleton Crew" Jamil Jude visited "On Second Thought" to discuss the play. He's also the new artistic director for Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company. Jude shared how the play's themes around unionizing, sacrifice and job insecurity resonate with audiences today.

 "On Second Thought" for Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

Spelman College students are giving an old classic new features with their presentation of "R+J" ahead of Valentine's Day weekend. "R+J"  is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Students at Spelman and Morehouse College will incorporate hip-hop and Atlanta culture into their remake.  

Alexis Kulani Woodard is a junior at Spelman College. She directed "R+J" and spoke with "On Second Thought" about the production. Booker Vance also joined the conversation. Vance is an actor and plays Mercutio in the play.

If you watched this year's Grammy awards show, it was not a night of the usual suspects. The show performances and winners showed a lot more diversity than in the past. That's after some artists and critics spoke out about last year's lack of it, and some even refused to perform at the event. It's also after The Recording Academy promised to be more inclusive.

"On Second Thought" invited entertainment reporter, Jewel Wicker to speak about the awards show and historic wins. Wicker also gave updates about rapper 21 Savage following his arrest in Atlanta during Super Bowl weekend. The rapper was released from ICE detention on Wednesday.

The holiday of romance is near and many people are preparing to celebrate their love with their significant other. Some couples may go to a fancy dinner while others may exchange heartfelt gifts, but a few are breaking tradition of what love looks like.

 

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Tags: love stories  Play  Production  Romeo and Juliet  Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company  Spelman College  Grammy Awards  Kenny Leon  Valentine's Day  Atlanta