A Father’s Love Vanita Applebum September 14, 2023 at 2:20 pm in COMMUNITY, CONTEST / EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT, Events, WHUR NO JIVE PRODUCTIONS, INC. SHOWCASES NIAL MARTIN’S HIT STAGE PLAY, ‘A FATHER’S LOVE,’ FEATURING TERRELL CARTER FROM ‘EMPIRE,’ DAVID TOLLIVER OF ‘MEN AT LARGE’ AND GOSPEL SONGSTRESS JAMIE KNIGHT, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023, THE WARNER THEATRE, WASHINGTON, D.C. No Jive Productions, Inc, a South Florida-based theater company recognized for its commitment to excellence and service on behalf of the Black community, and its dedication to providing plays that invoke themes, messages, and images – all positive in content and structure – of African American families, will travel to Washington, D.C. to present Nial Martin’s hit stage play, “A Father’s Love,” Saturday, September 23, at the Warner Theatre. The play begins at 7 p.m. Written, directed, and produced by Nial Martin, the creative force and founder of No Jive Productions, Inc., the play features an impressive ensemble of talented actors and vocalists, including Terrell Carter, featured in the hit TV show “Empire, the Netflix series, “From Scratch,” and the lead vocalist on the hit gospel song “Father Can You Hear Me” (Tyler Perry’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman);” David Tolliver, of the R&B group “Men at Large;” and Jamie Knight, minister and gospel recording artist. “A Father’s Love,” loosely based on Martin’s own experiences, reveals a poignant story fueled with the powerful message of redemption. It centers on the internal struggles of a young man, estranged from his father, and forced maneuver his path toward manhood, while desperately searching for unconditional love. Shelley Garrett, the legendary Black playwright touted as the “Godfather of Urban Theater,” and who set the standard for others to follow with his iconic play, “Beauty Shop,” served as a mentor to Martin prior to his death in 2018. “I have dealt with my own personal struggles when it comes to my father and I know that when you talk about securing a father’s love, it’s a lot different than the kind of love that most children received from their mothers,” said Carter, who brings his staggering stage presence, acting ability and vocal skills to the production in the lead role as Matthew Sanders. “As strong as fathers try to be, many of them either don’t know how, or don’t want to give their children the unconditional love they need. But before we criticize them for their failures, we need to give them a chance to explain the decisions they’ve made,” he said. “I am excited to be working with an all-star cast including Terrell Carter, David Tolliver, who delivers the goods in the role of Daddy Sanders, and Jamie Knight, who will mesmerize the audience with her mind-blowing vocal range,” said Martin, who added that the inspiration for writing the play came from years of pain, sadness and depression with which he has struggled because of the absence of his father in his life. “I didn’t write ‘A Father’s Love’ for the meek at heart. There are a lot of things going on in the Sanders home,” Martin said. “The show has moments guaranteed to make you laugh until you cry – then there are moments when the tears flow because of heartache. Ultimately, the audience is invited to follow Matthew Sanders in his search for his father’s love. Whether black men can put it into words or not, sometimes the only thing we really want from our fathers is to be noticed – to be acknowledged even with our imperfections – and every now and then, to be held.” Other cast members include Eddie “Clark” Posey, Regina Hodges, Agnes “Aggie” Balka, Devonne Goode, and Regina Rohena. Carlos A. Harris serves as the executive producer. The play has been performed numerous times throughout South Florida and recently received high praise from both theater critics and members of the audience during a performance in Atlanta, Georgia. “I knew I had to spread the word and share this, as well as other stories, with audiences far beyond the environs of my home in South Florida,” Martin said. “Since accepting that task – that mission – things have developed beyond my wildest dreams.” For more information, including interview requests, please contact No Jive Production’s publicist, D. Kevin McNeir, at NoJiveMedia@gmail.com or (240) 355-2260. For tickets, visit Live Nation, Ticketmaster or the Warner Theatre box office in Washington, D.C.