If life's a stage, Cassandra Lowe Williams deserves a Tony Award.
She has been many things to many people -- a mother, teacher, minister, actress, director and friend. And now she's poised to take on yet another role as the legendary Ethel Waters in the upcoming Triad Stage production "Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow" written by Larry Parr.
Born and raised in Greensboro, Williams found her calling as an actress and teacher at a young age and pursued it with passion.
"For me, it's all about not only pursuing your heart and your life's calling," Williams said, "but in whatever you decide to do in life, pursue it and do it with excellence."
The pursuit of her calling led to a successful 30-year career as an English and theater teacher at Southeast High School in Greensboro before retiring and focusing more on the professional aspects of acting.
She has recently performed as the lead role in the Touring Theatre of North Carolina's "The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer," a role that she will take up again after ending her role as Ethel Waters. She also works with the Actor's Theatre of Charlotte and has previously performed in Triad Stage's "From the Mississippi Delta," among others.
Director Donna Bradby has worked with Williams in the past and is directing her in the Ethel Waters play, which Bradby calls "a tour de force" for an actress.
"She knows theater, has taught it and performed it for years," Bradby said of Williams. "It makes my work easier because she's a trained performer and director herself. She's comfortable on the stage; it's her home."
As a one-woman show accompanied only by George A. Pass II on piano, Williams is faced with the unique challenge of driving the story forward in a balance of narrative and song while simultaneously portraying Waters and significant people in her life. But it's a challenge that Williams and Bradby are confident will be met.
By drawing from her own life experiences, the experiences of others, and from a wealth of dramatic technique, Williams hopes to introduce audiences to Ethel Waters as a woman who enjoyed success despite difficult circumstances.
The story of Ethel Waters is one of pain, stardom, prejudice, purpose and redemption. From a sordid childhood in Philadelphia's slums to megastar status in the music and film industries, recording hits such as "Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue," Waters rose to fame as an African-American woman in the early 1900s, shattering barriers and making a name for herself with audiences of all backgrounds.
But her purpose and calling were found not in her fame but in her faith and in her role as a singer with the Billy Graham Crusades in the latter part of her life. Telling the story behind the star is what Williams aims to accomplish, inspiring audiences by bringing the story of a great woman to life and painting a complete picture of how she became that woman.
"A lot of times people only know one aspect of your life, and it's the only thing they identify you with," Williams said. "Everybody has some good and some bad in their backgrounds. The ins and outs and ups and downs are really what make us what we are. There is honor in their life no matter what their beginning may be like.
"It becomes my responsibility, as well as my pleasure, to be able to bring honor to the life of this person."
Contact Rebecca Warren at becca.l.warren@gmail.com
