Booker T. Washington High School Alumni
New Orleans, Louisiana (LA)
Mcneal Chakula Cha Jua Cayette
Booker T. Washington High School
Class of 1964
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MCNEAL CHAKULA CHA JUA'S PROFILE
| First Name | Mcneal Chakula Cha Jua |
| Last Name | Cayette |
| Graduation Year | Class of 1964 |
| Gender | Male |
| Current Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Hometown | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Relationship Status | Single |
| About Me | • Born and reared in New Orleans, LA as McNeal Cayette, took the name Chakula cha Jua in 1972…(It is Swahili for "food of the sun"). • Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and the University of New Orleans. • From 1971 to 1976 was a staff member of the legendary Free Southern Theater. • From 1978 to 1980 was technical director, actor, and playwright for the Ethiopian Theater. • In 1979 and 1980 he was a Creative Dramatics Specialist for the New Orleans Recreation Department. • In 1978 directed the world premier of Tom Dent's probing drama on black-on-black violence Ritual Murder, which has been in production ever since. In 1998, received the prestigious Big Easy Award for the 20th. Anniversary production of Ritual Murder. • In 1985 founded the Chakula cha Jua Theater Company and began writing and producing critically acclaimed plays on African-American history, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and violence. • In 1994 wrote and produced What Could Happen Next, which was described by Gambit Newsweekly as "a dandy original sitcom-like farce." The work joined the roster of other celebrated original plays written for adults and children, including A Black Experience,(with Leppaine Chiphe), Class Reunion,(with Carol Bebelle), Whatever Happened To Good Old Fashioned Respect? The Big Bad Old Ugly Mean Green Drug Bug, $5,000.00 Reward, And She’s Only A baby Herself, A Man Called Martin, Dance Contest and The Ladder. • As director worked with the Ethiopian Theater, ACT I Players, The Congo Square Writer’s Union, Xavier and Dillard University, Delgado Community College, ASHE Cultural Arts Center, YICI Productions and many other church and community organizations. • As an actor, toured with two one-man shows, Laughing to Keep From Crying, (One Hundred Years of Black Poetry), and Has Anybody Here Heard of Langston Hughes?... in addition to performing in numerous local and regional community theater and college productions. • Poetry and plays have been published in such renowned literary journals as Nkombo, The African American Review and Callaloo; and in the anthologies A Bend in the River, and Word Up. • For the past 20 years worked in the New Orleans Public Schools as drama instructor in the Arts Connection and Talented in the Arts (Theater) programs. Selected Awards and Honors • Best Director Award, Alliance for Community Theaters, Inc., 1988 and 1990 • Mayor’s Arts Award, Arts Council of new Orleans, 1991 • Beaux Arts Award, Contemporary Arts Center, 1992 • Artie Award, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 1993 • Best Production Award, Alliance for Community Theaters, Inc. 1993 • Big Easy Award for Theater, Gambit Newsweekly, 1997 • Paul Robeson Arts and Humanities Award, University of New Orleans’ Morial Chapter Alumni Association, 1998 • Arts Award, New Orleans Chapter of the Links, 1999 • The Marcus B. Christian Community Service Award, University of New Orleans, 2002 • The Danny Barker Estate Keeping the History Alive Award2003 • Asante Award, 2...(read more) |
Class of 1964 Alumni and Other Nearby Classes
→ Reunite with 24 class of 1964 alumni that have joined.
Javanti Coleman
Class of 2000
Tyrone Parker
Class of 2000
Vincent Coston
Class of 1976
Dwayne Williams
Class of 1989
Sonya Brown
Class of 1987
Graylin Warner
Class of 1979
Renee Smothers
Class of 1977
Denise Patton
Class of 1989
Diane Landry
Class of 1990
Henry Martin Jr
Class of 1975
Jack Washington
Class of 1988
Frances C Harris
Class of 1963
Veronica Jones
Class of 1966
Fairlyn Thomas
Class of 1970
Johnnie Lacen
Class of 1972
Sandra Mccluster
Class of 1966
Mary Warren
Class of 1979
Vonkeith Jackson
Class of 1985
Wellington Ceaser
Class of 1988
James Hunter
Class of 1967
Pamela Robertson
Class of 1975
Eddie Sr. Giles
Class of 1966
Angela Anderson
Class of 1988
John Robinson
Class of 1960
Recent Class of 1964 Reunions
Plan a Class of 1964 Reunion for Free
BTW 70th Anniversary Celebration
Invited Classes: All Classes
Date: Sep 14, 2012
Description: Ticket Cost/Person: Three-bay Event - $75.00 Gala Only - $60 Picnic Only $20 Booker T. Washington High School Turns 70 ...(read more)