UPAC 2026-2027 Season
MAIN STAGE PRODUCTIONs
.png)
Written by Sharon Cook
This inspiring musical drama chronicles the extraordinary life of Thomas A. Dorsey, the legendary “Father of Gospel Music.” Through powerful storytelling, stirring gospel music, and poignant flashbacks, audiences' journey through Dorsey’s transformation from blues musician to gospel pioneer. Confronting personal tragedy, rejection, and spiritual awakening, Dorsey discovers his divine purpose, ultimately creating the timeless hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” A moving testament to faith, perseverance, and the transformative power of music.
The Glory of Gospel
Performance Dates:
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
110 W. Finney Ave, Suffolk, VA
Friday, March 26, 2027 | 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 27, 2027 | 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
AND
Zeiders American Dream Theater
Virginia Beach, VA
Friday June 18 thru Sunday June 20, 2027
(Juneteenth Weekend)
Tickets Coming Soon
(Concert & Staged Reading)
A New-Works Partnership with
Zeiders American Dream Theater
Noir Espionage
Performance Dates: TBD
Written by Roberta Lea Halmond-Walters
Noir Espionage uncovers the untold stories of courageous Black spies, strategists, and freedom fighters whose intelligence and daring helped shape the course of American history. Set against the backdrop of slavery and the Civil War, this powerful multimedia theatrical experience blends drama, original music, spoken word, and movement to illuminate the extraordinary contributions of figures such as Harriet Tubman, who narrates this historical journey, Mary Bowser, Mary Louvestre, Nat Turner, and Robert Smalls. A compelling celebration of resistance, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of freedom, Noir Espionage brings hidden history into the spotlight.
BLACK GIRL MAGIC
written & created by
SHARON DAVIDSON COOK
BLACK GIRL MAGIC | 2026 UPDATE
We are beyond excited to announce that UPAC’s Black Girl Magic has been invited to perform at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival! This is a dream come true for our 27-member cast and crew, and we want to share this powerful celebration of Black womanhood, joy, and resilience with audiences nationwide.
This opportunity means so much to our artists, many of whom will be performing on a national stage for the first time. However, we need your help to make this trip possible.
Please like, comment, and share this post to help us reach our goal. Please consider donating to assist with our travel costs. Together, we can bring the magic of Black Girl Magic to Atlanta and beyond! Thank you for your support
A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS
written & created by
ANTHONY WAYNE & KENDRELL BOWMAN
& ANTHONYKEN LLC
PERFORMANCES
ZEIDERS AMERICAN DREAM THEATRE
4509 Commerce Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
FRIDAY, DEC. 5 - 7:30PM
SATUDAY, DEC. 6 - 2PM & 7:30PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 7 - 4PM
THURSDAY, DEC. 11 - 7:30PM
FRIDAY, DEC. 12 - 7:30PM
SATURDAY, DEC. 13 - 2PM & 7:30PM
SUFFOLK CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS
110 W. Finney Avenue, Suffolk, VA 23434
SATURDAY, DEC. 20, 2025
AT 8 PM
THE GLORY OF GOSPEL:
The Thomas Dorsey Story
written & created by Sharon Cook
.png)
"The Glory of Gospel: The Thomas Dorsey Story"
A gospel play that chronicles the life of Thomas A. Dorsey, the legendary father of gospel music. Through a series of flashbacks, the production introduces key figures who shaped Dorsey's passion for music, including his mother, Bessie Smith, James Cleveland, and Mahalia Jackson. It also depicts Dorsey's "road to Damascus" experience and the inspiration behind his beloved gospel song "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - a work that revolutionized the worship experience. This play stands as a testament to the transformative power of God, and how He can use tragedy and rejection to propel individuals towards their true purpose.
“Gospel is good music and news on either side, sent down from the Lord, to give the people. There is no such thing as black music, white music, or red or blue music. [The gospel] is what everyone needs.” --- Thomas Dorsey.
PERFORMANCES
NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025
AT 2PM & 7PM
SUFFOLK CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS
110 W. Finney Avenue, Suffolk, VA 23434
Collaborative Productions
At the Underground Performing Arts Collective, we believe in the power of community and collaboration. Our collaborative productions are a celebration of creative teamwork, bringing together theater enthusiasts and partnering organizations to share dynamic experiences throughout the year.
JUNETEENTH SANKOFA FESTIVAL
A Collaborative Event with Little Theatre of Norfolk
%20(2).png)
OUR VOICES MATTER
written by UPAC's 2024 Creative Expressions Performing Arts Summer Camp Cohort with contributions by Keshara Bailey, Sherrod Brown, Sharon Cook, Ray Dimaano, and Christa Vogt
Our Voice Matters is a newly devised ensemble work comprised of poems, monologues, vignettes, songs, and dances that express the thoughts, feelings, concerns, and experiences of today's youth!
Directed by J Travis Cooper, June 14 (7:30 pm) & 15 (2:00 pm) at Little Theatre of Norfolk (Sankofa Fest co-production with Little Theatre of Norfolk)
HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS FIRST 100 YEARS
by Emily Mann (adapted from the book by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany) starring Jennifer Kelly-Cooper and Carla Turner, Co-Production with The Little Theatre of Norfolk (June 27-29)
HAVING OUR SAY opens as 103-year-old Sadie Delany and 101-year-old Bessie Delany welcome us into their Mount Vernon, New York, home.
As they prepare a celebratory dinner in remembrance of their father’s birthday, they take us on a remarkable journey through the last hundred years of our nation’s history, recounting a fascinating series of events and anecdotes drawn from their rich family history and careers as pioneering African-American professionals.
Their story is not simply African-American history or women’s history. It is our history, told through the eyes of two unforgettable women as they look not only into the past but also ahead into the twenty-first century.
