At the crossroads with Crossroads

Here’s my recent story about Crossroads Theatre.

The lede:

Keeping a regional theater afloat is challenging in the best of times. Doing so for four decades — through economic downturns, and social and cultural changes –is even more difficult.

Now, add to that a mission: To celebrate the spirit, culture and history of people of African descent. That’s been the goal of Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick since it was founded in 1978.

“For most of my tenure, we’ve been in survival mode,” said Crossroads’ Producing Artistic Director Marshall Jones III, who joined the company in 2007. “Typically, as a culturally-specific theater, we’re left with the crumbs. During the great recession, there were no crumbs.”

Yet, to paraphrase Maya Angelou: Still they rise.