Strike at the Wind! ––which tells the story of Henry Berry Lowrie––returns for two shows this summer on the Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC) stage on the campus of UNC Pembroke.
The play will be performed July 21-22, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10. For tickets, visit uncp.edu/gpac or call the GPAC Ticket Office at 910.521.6361. Doors open at 7.
Strike at the Wind! ––one of the longest-running outdoor dramas in the state––debuted at the Lumbee Tribal Cultural Center in 1976. Due to ongoing renovations to the lakeside amphitheater, organizers moved the play to GPAC.
Jonathan Drahos, the play’s director, said nearly the entire cast from the 2022 season has returned, including Bill Oxendine and Cheyenne Ward, who are back playing the leads, Henry Berry and Rhoda. This summer’s cast is one of the largest in recent memory.
“We have returning veterans who continue to participate year after year,” said Dr. Drahos. “It's a true testament to the power of this story in this community. We are all proud to keep the story going through the culture center renovations, and the Lumbee Tribe has been supportive and collaborative as always. I am grateful for the former tribal chairman (Harvey Godwin Jr.) and current tribal chairman (John Lowery) who have been so instrumental in collaborating with our great university.”
As professor and director of the theatre program at UNCP, Drahos doesn’t have to look far when recruiting actors with formal training, like Oxendine and Ward––both products of the theatre program. A few cast members are continuing their academic pursuits at some of the top graduate-level theatre programs in the country. Oxendine attends the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Sean Deem, who plays Col. Harris, has been accepted to the Rose Bruford College in London, and Jamonte Madison, who plays Shoemaker John, will attend The Juilliard School this fall. Additionally, the stage manager, Faith Harrison, is studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
“We have a talented group this summer, so I’m excited to be back,” Oxendine said. “It is always an honor to tell the story of our people and Henry Berry Lowrie.”
Oxendine credits Drahos––who has extensive professional acting and directing experience––with producing high-quality productions which have sold out in recent years.
“He knows how to bring out the best in you,” Oxendine said. “He’ll push you to the limit you normally wouldn’t go. One of the biggest things he teaches is, ‘not being afraid to take risks.’”
