The Anthony Aston Gala
Hibernian Hall, 105 Meeting Street, Charleston
Thursday, May 11, 2017
I
n 2015, The Footlight Players’ Board of Directors established the Anthony Aston Honor, naming it after the British
actor, playwright and poet who, in November of 1702, arrived in Charles Towne after being shipwrecked on the
Carolina coast near Port Royal. In 1703, Aston wrote and performed “The Country”, which is arguably the first play
ever produced in America. The Aston recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions
to the arts or the cultural life of Charleston.
THE 2017 HONOREES
JONATHAN GREEN
Jonathan Green is a nationally acclaimed and awarded professional artist who graduated from
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1982. His thirty-four year track record of creating
art and extensive listings and inclusions in museum collections and exhibitions throughout
the world has led to his being considered by numerous art critics and reviewers as one of our
nation’s outstanding American artists and highly recognized visual master for capturing the
positive aspects of American and African American Southern culture, history, and traditions.
His high level of social interest and cultural commitments, and exhibitions have brought him international recognition
through his travels and collections throughout North America, Europe, Central and South America, Caribbean, Africa,
and Japan. It is Green’s mastery of color and skillful use of the human figure in rural and urban environments, which
allows him to preserve and share with the viewer a deep sense of community, and how the life challenges of work, love,
belonging, and spirituality are met.
Since 1982, Jonathan Green has received numerous honors and awards for art, social, civic, academic, and cultural
contributions. Some of the numerous academic awards he has received include: Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degrees
from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 1997, The Coastal Carolina University – Conway, SC 2009,
and Sewanee – The University of the South, Sewanee, TN 2014. Other awards include The Elizabeth O’Neill Verner
Award for Life Time Achievement, Columbia, SC 2010; Key of Life Award --- NAACP Image Awards, Los Angeles,
CA 2009; Century of Achievement in Art Award, The Museum of Americas, Arlington, VA, 2003; Order of the
Palmetto Civilian Award, Columbia, SC 2002, and The History Makers Award in Fine Arts, The History Makers
National Archives, Chicago, IL 2001.
Some of his extensive humanitarian and civic contributions have helped Diabetic research at the Medical University
of South Carolina in Charleston, Sickle Cell Anemia research Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and medical
outreach services in Beaufort County, South Carolina. When not painting he uses his networking skills to serve on
the International African American Museum, Gilliard Auditorium Boards in Charleston, South Carolina, and many
cultural advisory committees throughout the south.
In recent years he has combined his role as artist with that of educator, co-creating the Lowcountry Rice Culture
Project, which builds partnerships to explore, reveal, and reclaim the shared cultural inheritance of the Lowcountry rice
industry. The project emphasizes examining the consequences of history and the meaning of heritage as a launching
point for broad discussions of race, class, art, trade, history, and economics – along with a clear frame of reference and
safe environment in which such dialogue can occur without fear of backlash or misunderstanding.
Mr. Green’s art and talents have been incorporated into productions of ballet, music, opera, theatre, literature, film, and
video documentaries throughout the United States. Additionally, his art has been included in numerous educational
publications addressing American and African American history, literature, food-ways, visual arts, and healthcare.
Currently Jonathan Green resides and paints in his studio located in Charleston, South Carolina.
SAM STAFFORD
NANCY STAFFORD
Born in St. Augustine, FL, in 1946,
Sam Stafford III moved to SC at
age five, then to Charleston in 1964
to attend The College of Charleston,
where he met his wife of 47 years,
Nancy Webb, also a student at
The College. Nancy invited him to
Sam and Nancy Stafford volunteer with her at The Footlight
Players under the tutelage of Emmett Robinson, Footlight’s first
managing director; the technical director, Norman Weber and
his assistant Bill Easterby. Sam treasures those Saturdays with
Nancy and remains appreciative of the lessons Emmett taught
them about love, life, commitment and theater.
Nancy Webb Stafford, a native Charlestonian, has had
theatre in her blood since childhood. Her mother served on
The Footlight Players board of directors and her parents were
long-time friends of Pat and Emmett Robinson, who were
synonymous with Charleston theatre for nearly 30 years.
Nancy began volunteering at the theatre at the age of 13 and
over the next 11 years worked every aspect of technical theater
(carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, running spots, costume
construction and set dressing) learning from Footlight’s
talented staff: Emmett Robinson, Norman Webber and Bill
Easterby. During those years, The Footlight Players was
responsible for the maintenance of the Dock Street Theater
and presented its main season on that stage.
After graduating from The College and receiving an MD degree
from MUSC in 1971, Sam embarked on a 20-year naval career,
completing residencies in pediatrics and dermatology. He and
Nancy returned to Charleston in 1982 where he began a parttime private practice in dermatology. After retiring from the
Navy in 1992, Sam joined Mt. Pleasant Dermatology where he
has been a partner since 1994.
Emmett encouraged Nancy to pursue her interests outside of
Charleston, and she spent two summers in summer stock in
Hyannis and Boston during college breaks.
Sam acted with The Footlight Players from 1967 through 1971
and later served as a member of The Footlight Players board of
directors as well as board president. During his tenure, he led
the movement to replace the theater seats and donated the red
stage curtain as an anniversary present to Nancy in honor of
their early memories at the theatre.
While living in San Francisco, Nancy attended cooking
school, and subsequently taught cooking classes and operated
a catering business for 19 years. Later, she developed an
interest in landscape design, so she attended many classes
and symposiums, and eventually friends turned into clients.
Nancy now consults and enjoys working in her yards in
Charleston and the NC mountains, which intrigue her with
their different plant palettes.
Sam received the Alumni Award of Honor from the College of
Charleston in 2014. He has served as a trustee for The College
and currently serves on several boards, including the Advisory
Board of the School of the Arts, and The Foundation and Alumni
Boards. He sings in the choir at Grace Church Cathedral and
enjoys giving back to his Mt Pleasant community as an active
member of the East Cooper Breakfast Rotary Club for 25 years.
T
She met Sam while a student at the College of Charleston
when he came backstage one day to help work on sets. Three
years later, they were married, and left Charleston for 12
years of Sam’s training and adventure in the Navy.
Sam and Nancy have two artistically gifted daughters:
Adele, a weaver and writer, and Ann Ladson, a metalsmith
and jeweler. The couple love to travel and keep up with the
local theatre scene through four local theatre groups and
occasional trips to NYC.
THE FOOTLIGHT PLAYERS
he Footlight Players was founded in March 1931 by leaders of the Charleston Renaissance, including Alfred Hutty,
DuBose Heyward, Selma Tharin Furtwangler Dotterer, and Eola Willis, among others. Shortly after the founding, the
renowned Emmett Robinson was hired as the first director. Initially plays were performed at the Charleston Naval Base
and the Academy of Music on King Street. In 1937 the Dock Street Theatre was reconstructed and The Footlight Players
produced the first production, The Recruiting Officer, under the direction of Emmett Robinson with Alicia Rhett in the
leading role. The Footlight Players was the resident company of the Dock Street Theatre until 1986.
In 1934, the Players acquired an old warehouse at 20 Queen Street, converted it into a theater opening in 1941 after the
Charleston tornado of 1938. The Workshop at 20 Queen Street was used for rehearsals, costume and set design and Children’s
Theatre productions.
Since 1986, The Workshop has hosted all productions of The Footlight Players. The company remains the only theater
organization in Charleston that owns and maintains its own facility. Today, The Footlight Players produces six plays per
season, ranging from musicals to comedies to dramas, and hosts numerous additional performances by guest companies
including Piccolo Spoleto.
In the past eight decades, The Footlight Players company has produced hundreds of plays and nurtured many of Charleston’s
artistic personalities such as: Alicia Rhett, who played India Wilkes in Gone with the Wind; and actor Thomas Gibson of
Criminal Minds.