By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
Continue to R.I.P.!
Re-published from a previous edition with 2026 updates...
Below are the contents of my interview reproduced from the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival with the late Ms. Sylvia Y. Sprinkle Hamlin.
Trend Magazine Online™
Continue to R.I.P.!
Re-published from a previous edition with 2026 updates...
Below are the contents of my interview reproduced from the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival with the late Ms. Sylvia Y. Sprinkle Hamlin.
I must admit that I was a bit nervous about this interview and the process of landing the appointment. 😅 This was the first person that I have interviewed in quite some time that I did not know personally and I had no idea of what to expect. I was able to contact Ms. Hamlin as a result of a tip from Ms. Connie Smith, also a Winston-Salem native and proprietor of Triad City Tours which conducts area Black History Tours. I have known and have been working with her for over a decade with Queen City Tours® and Travel. I was getting a bit dissuaded after sending several emails for over three weeks without a response. With my interview deadline rapidly approaching, I decided to just pick up the phone and call over to the office of the National Black Theatre Festival. 📞
I was quite surprised when the gentleman that answered the phone stated that his name was Larente’ Hamlin. 🤔 Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I thought, is this a coincidence? Turns out he is indeed the stepson of Ms. Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, my target for this interview. At first, he was a bit reluctant to furnish me with his mother’s email – which I can understand – but was willing to confirm that the address that I had obtained from Ms. Smith was indeed correct. I gave him a brief overview and purpose for my wanting to get in contact with Ms. Hamlin – this article – and he was nice enough to furnish me with his email address to forward my previous correspondence to his mother. The next thing you know, voila, a quick response from Ms. Hamlin! 🎉 Persistence pays!
He was a graduate of the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI, and their company produces area Black theatre to include the highly-acclaimed MLK Birthday Celebration in February – Black History Month – and the Black Nativity play in December; both in Winston-Salem, NC. I have attended the annual MLK celebration and it is well worth the trip up from Charlotte, NC. I must admit that I had known about the National Black Theatre Festival for quite some time but like other folks in Charlotte, I had been procrastinating. Not this year, I will be there with bells on to rub elbows with some of the invited celebrities and other theatre attendees. I can’t wait. 🎭🎉
Q (Jay): How long have you held this position?
A (Hamlin): I have been the Executive Producer of the National Black Theatre Festival since 2007.
Q (Jay): Where were you born?
A (Hamlin): I was born right here in Winston-Salem.
Q (Jay): How did you and Mr. Hamlin meet?
A (Hamlin): It was at a social event in 1979 which was a dinner for professionals. I was there selling cosmetics and he was there selling his company. We got married in 1981. 💍
Q (Jay): Did the two of you discuss the idea of the Black Theatre Festival before it materialized?
A (Hamlin): Of course we did, he was my husband!
Q (Jay): Were you and him the least bit skeptical about holding the event in Winston-Salem?
A (Hamlin): No, we both had lived in other places and knew that there was a need for it and that the location would not matter if it was a good product. Besides, Winston-Salem is a very attractive venue; we have great food, reasonable hotels, adequate public transportation, and people like the idea of being able to get from one side of the city to the next within 10 minutes. 🏙️🍽️🚇
Q (Jay): How did the two of you manage your marriage and at the same time the festival and theatre company?
A (Hamlin): I worked mainly behind the scenes and he worked directly in the theatre and company. He was the creative force behind the things that we would do together. 🎭
Q (Jay): What is your favorite part of your job as the executive producer?
A (Hamlin): I like meeting people and networking with theatre companies around the world. I enjoy it when they send in their plays for consideration. I also like the excitement of planning the festival and working with great consultants from all over the United States. 🌟🌍
Q (Jay): What is your least favorite part of your job as the executive producer?
A (Hamlin): Fundraising, trying to convince people that you have an excellent product. 💸
Q (Jay): What are your hobbies?
A (Hamlin): Travel. I really like to visit New York City here in the states and South and West Africa, Aruba, and the Caribbean islands. ✈️🗽🏝️
Q (Jay): Do you have a favorite celebrity who has participated in your event?
A (Hamlin): I like them all!
I was quite surprised when the gentleman that answered the phone stated that his name was Larente’ Hamlin. 🤔 Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I thought, is this a coincidence? Turns out he is indeed the stepson of Ms. Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, my target for this interview. At first, he was a bit reluctant to furnish me with his mother’s email – which I can understand – but was willing to confirm that the address that I had obtained from Ms. Smith was indeed correct. I gave him a brief overview and purpose for my wanting to get in contact with Ms. Hamlin – this article – and he was nice enough to furnish me with his email address to forward my previous correspondence to his mother. The next thing you know, voila, a quick response from Ms. Hamlin! 🎉 Persistence pays!He was a graduate of the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI, and their company produces area Black theatre to include the highly-acclaimed MLK Birthday Celebration in February – Black History Month – and the Black Nativity play in December; both in Winston-Salem, NC. I have attended the annual MLK celebration and it is well worth the trip up from Charlotte, NC. I must admit that I had known about the National Black Theatre Festival for quite some time but like other folks in Charlotte, I had been procrastinating. Not this year, I will be there with bells on to rub elbows with some of the invited celebrities and other theatre attendees. I can’t wait. 🎭🎉
Q (Jay): How long have you held this position?A (Hamlin): I have been the Executive Producer of the National Black Theatre Festival since 2007.
Q (Jay): Where were you born?
A (Hamlin): I was born right here in Winston-Salem.
Q (Jay): How did you and Mr. Hamlin meet?
A (Hamlin): It was at a social event in 1979 which was a dinner for professionals. I was there selling cosmetics and he was there selling his company. We got married in 1981. 💍
Q (Jay): Did the two of you discuss the idea of the Black Theatre Festival before it materialized?
A (Hamlin): Of course we did, he was my husband!
Q (Jay): Were you and him the least bit skeptical about holding the event in Winston-Salem?
A (Hamlin): No, we both had lived in other places and knew that there was a need for it and that the location would not matter if it was a good product. Besides, Winston-Salem is a very attractive venue; we have great food, reasonable hotels, adequate public transportation, and people like the idea of being able to get from one side of the city to the next within 10 minutes. 🏙️🍽️🚇
Ms. Sylvia Y. Sprinkle-Hamlin library renamed in her honor in 2022. 📚🎭
A (Hamlin): I worked mainly behind the scenes and he worked directly in the theatre and company. He was the creative force behind the things that we would do together. 🎭
Q (Jay): What is your favorite part of your job as the executive producer?
A (Hamlin): I like meeting people and networking with theatre companies around the world. I enjoy it when they send in their plays for consideration. I also like the excitement of planning the festival and working with great consultants from all over the United States. 🌟🌍
Q (Jay): What is your least favorite part of your job as the executive producer?
A (Hamlin): Fundraising, trying to convince people that you have an excellent product. 💸
Q (Jay): What are your hobbies?
A (Hamlin): Travel. I really like to visit New York City here in the states and South and West Africa, Aruba, and the Caribbean islands. ✈️🗽🏝️
Q (Jay): Do you have a favorite celebrity who has participated in your event?
A (Hamlin): I like them all!
Q (Jay): What Black celebrity would you like to see participate in your event that has not already?A (Hamlin): Actually, this event is not all about the celebrities, it is about Black theatre; they are of course an extra added attraction for attendees. We invite Black celebrities that have a connection with Black theatre.
Q (Jay): Do white people attend your event?
A (Hamlin): We have about a 10% white audience. It is important for other races to know that although this event focuses on Black theatre, the content is about human conditions that we can all relate to. We strongly encourage diversity at the National Black Theatre Festival. 🌍🤝
Q (Jay): What are your future goals/plans for the National Black Theatre Festival?
A (Hamlin): We have a really good product and we will continue to improve on what we have. Our event is becoming more of a family event focusing on children, young adults, and seniors. 👨👩👧👦
Q (Jay): You were recently feted at a New York City gala on Sunday May 22, 2011; how was that experience?
A (Hamlin): Great! There were about 450 people and a lot of history in the room. I received an award along with the late Sidney Poitier [My favorite actor – buy his books], the late Ruby Dee, Alicia Keys, and former New York City Mayor the late David Dinkins, to name a few.
Note: The event was co-hosted by CBS News’ Randall Pinkston, and the lovely and talented Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story). The late Dr. Maya Angelou served as the honorary chair. 🌟📜
Q (Jay): What are your final thoughts concerning this year’s National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC?
A (Hamlin): It is going to be an excellent festival and we will give 110% to ensure its continued success. The shows will be so outstanding that it will be hard to select just one. We selected the best 34 productions out of 115 submissions and will have representation from 12 different states, Canada, and South Africa. I am extending a personal invitation to folks from the Queen City/Charlotte to make the trip up. 🎭🌟
In closing, I would like to thank [The late] Dr. Maya Angelou -- who has been there from the very beginning – for her continued strong support. 🌹
UPDATES:
The 2026 winner of the Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award is Eljon Wardally’s Blooming in Dry Season, a Caribbean family drama directed by Jackie Alexander with an original Calypso score by Trinidadian musician Etienne Charles.
Ms. Sprinkle-Hamlin passed away on Monday January 3, 2022 (age 76). On Thursday July 28, 2022, the Forsyth County Public Library Board of Trustees dedicated the Central Library, in Downtown Winston-Salem, as the Sylvia Y. Sprinkle-Hamlin Building. A street nearby is now named in her honor.
#IBTF2026 #WinstonSalemNC #BlackTheatre #TheatreHistory #ArtsAndCulture #TrendMagazineOnline 📰 #TravelInterview
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Note: Hamlin photo and artwork courtesy of the International Black Theatre Festival.
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