From South Philly to Broadway to addiction and back again

As early as 6 years old, dance was everything to James T. Lane. He used to break-dance on the sidewalks of his South Philadelphia neighborhood streets, and was so enthralled in his first dance class at Meredith Elementary School, he forgot to take a bathroom break — and ended up needing an extra pair of pants as a result.

“Dance was my first language,” said Lane, who went on to study jazz and ballet. “I could express myself as a little Black gay boy, and I had a talent that kept the bullies away. I knew I could express myself and I can have feelings, be emotional and ride the rhythm of the music. That was very attractive to me, and it was a bright light in a very dark world.”

Those days led Lane to pursue a career in acting, and after seeing Robert Guillaume become the first Black actor to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera, he knew his dreams of reaching the Broadway stage were possible.

In the nearly 20 years since making his Broadway debut, Lane, 45, has starred in productions such as The Scottsboro Boys, Roundabout’s revival of Kiss Me Kate, King Kong The Musical, and he wrapped up his turn as Billy Flynn in Chicago earlier this month.

Now, instead of being a vessel for others’ stories, Lane said he’s ready to share a deeply personal story of his own and show audiences the failures, tragedies, and triumphs that shaped his identity and, ultimately, saved his life.

In his one-man-show Triple Threat, Lane will chronicle his life growing up in the notorious Southwark housing projects in South Philly, and detail how his love for the stage led to his Broadway stardom, and helped him overcome the darkness and isolation of drug and alcohol addiction.

Lane will play a total of 20 characters in a solo production that draws back to his formative years at Meredith Elementary School and Philadelphia’s Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP).

The actor will embody the spirit of his mother, police officers, teachers, fellow drug addicts, and other loved ones he encountered during that period of his life.

Before starring in three Tony Award-nominated musicals, Lane was a fresh-faced 19-year-old actor who declined full theater scholarships at Carnegie Mellon and Pennsylvania State University to pursue an early career start in the Big Apple.

Upon moving to New York, Lane landed a starring role as Tyrone Jackson in Fame. But after tearing his Achilles tendon, he turned to drugs and alcohol, which led to a four-year battle with substance abuse.

“It was a far fall from grace,” he said, “from a 19-year-old traveling the world and being in Switzerland to not being able to get out of their four-block radius in South Philly because I had a drug and alcohol problem. My world got very, very small.”

Lane moved back to his mother’s home in South Philadelphia with hopes of regaining his footing. At the time, Lane said he was a “garbage head,” dabbling in any drug he could get hands on, including ecstasy and crack cocaine.

The support from his mother, Starletta Smith, ultimately led to his recovery.

“I begged him to change,” Smith said. “I didn’t know the man he had become. When he tore his Achilles, he was sad because it stopped him from performing, and that was him. [Lane] lived for the stage, and when he couldn’t do it, one drug led to the other and it just got out of control.”

After entering a local outpatient center in 2004, Lane vowed to refrain from drugs and to work his way back up the theater ranks. But first, he needed to tighten his frame, regain his confidence, and embrace his past missteps.

“I could always dance and act, but back then, I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Lane said. “I just couldn’t muster up the conviction. I didn’t have any connections, and the talent wasn’t showing up anymore. I couldn’t keep rhythm or keep timing, so I decided to get my act together and started talking about being Black, gay and being an addict. I started to really give voice to that shame, and interestingly enough, I was able to breathe a little easier and walk a little lighter.”

Along with his mother’s guidance, Lane leaned on his faith to blaze a path toward personal and artistic salvation.

Before moving back to New York, Lane took a job at the Walnut Street Theatre and began stringing together local performances. After resharpening his skills in a production of Aida, his name began to circulate again in the theater world. In 2006, he landed his first Broadway role as Richie Walters in the Tony-nominated musical A Chorus Line.

In the years since the production’s run, Lane has become a notable name in New York City theater, and has even transitioned to the silver screen as a recurring character in NBC’s The Amber Ruffin Show.

With Lane’s one-man show just months from its New York debut, Dorina Morrow, his former music teacher at Meredith Elementary, said his story will encourage audiences to conquer any obstacles in their guard.

“He can talk the talk, but he can walk the walk,” she said. “I don’t see him ever stopping, and I think the overcoming of his troubles will be such an inspiration.”

Lane’s “Triple Threat” will make its off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd St., in New York. There will be a preview for Pride Month on June 17, followed by its official opening on June 23. For more information on the show, visit bfany.org.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

New Philly theater company is creating productions for children with disabilities

Sarah Gordin’s love for theater bloomed the moment she saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.

At 4 years old, she stood up to watch the entire show through the balusters of the mezzanine, enthralled by the experience. The classic production inspired her to become a performer and later an educator in the world of theater.

Now, as an early childhood movement arts specialist at Germantown Friends School, Gordin, 23, relishes when her students are struck by the same magic she witnessed as a kid. But in the years she’s been a part of the local arts community, she noticed something was missing: a company fully dedicated to performances for children with disabilities.

“Every major city has a dedicated children’s theater, so I was shocked that Philadelphia didn’t have one,” said Gordin, a native of Livingston, N.J. “It’s really important for children to be exposed to theater. And this is the type of work that I want to create as an artist, and sometimes you have to create your own opportunities to do it.”

Jennifer Spencer (center) holds a sensory object (a bumblebee) while rehearsing “Season’s Magical Adventures: A Sensory Play” at Philly Children's Theatre.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Gordin established Philly Children’s Theatre in November 2021 with the aim of making theater more accessible to children throughout the region.

Inspired by Oily Cart in Europe, Philly Children’s Theatre puts on “sensory-devised” performances that incorporate interactive elements tailored to young children with disabilities. The company offers pay-what-you-can for entry and brings productions to local neighborhoods to eliminate the cost and travel barriers some audience members may face.

Their first production, Without Wings by Ilana Zahava Abusch, included American Sign Language interpretation at one of its performances in July 2022. And assistant artistic director Erin Gaydos said the group’s next production, Season’s Magical Adventures: A Sensory Play, will include more interactive features to give kids a more direct hand in the production.

Ahead of the play’s premiere on May 6, children in grades 4-8 at the Julia de Burgos Elementary School are making the show’s set and props, which all have a sensory element to them. Props include buttons, fuzzy pom-poms, wax flowers, rainmakers, spray bottles, and fans.

Philly Children’s Theatre is bringing the magic of the arts to children with disabilities. The company's productions include the use of sensory prop items like pom-poms, rainmakers, spray bottles, fans, and other items.Read moreCourtesy of Philly Children's Theatre

The props will be placed in a bag and given to groups in the audience at the beginning of each show. The characters in the production will guide each child using the sensory props as they appear, allowing them to help tell the story. Gaydos said there will also be original music, sing-alongs, and guided dances to engage different senses.

“It encapsulates that immersive and interactive part where they’re going through and creating the show with us while it’s happening,” Gaydos, 23, said. “And that way, they are allowed to experience the show in any way that they want to or can. There’s no judgment.”

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The prop and set-making are led by Julia Gutman, who heads art projects for the Creative Arts and Restorative Education Program. By helping children crochet, sew, and weave the art textile pieces together, she said it’s building a deeper connection between them and the show’s story of the four seasons.

“It’s not just for children, it’s with children involved,” Gutman, 24, said of the play. “I just love how child-centered it is.”

Cast members rehearse a sensory-devised performance of “Season’s Magical Adventures: A Sensory Play” at Philly Children's Theatre. The play will include tactile kits for children to use as part of the production.

Once the show’s spring run ends, Gutman said students will be able to take home the props they designed. The script will also be turned into a storybook by playwright Juana Parral, with Julia de Burgos students illustrating the story.

Through community partnerships, Season’s Magical Adventures: A Sensory Play will debut in a closed performance at the Center for Autism and the HMS School in April. Public performances will take place at the Wyck House, Abington Arts Center, and Historic Fair Hill May 6-13.

Performer Jennifer Spencer, 24, said the theater’s desire to take the show to different neighborhoods in Philly is what drew her to the company, and she can’t wait to see how the children take in the experience.

“It’s important to reach people where they are because not everybody has the same opportunities as everybody else,” Spencer said. “I grew up in a program that allowed me to see opera from a young age, but other kids have never seen an opera or theater show. This is gonna be their first time experiencing something like that, and this is a great way to show them.”

Cast members rehearse at Philly Children's Theatre.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Going forward, Gordin wants to continue securing funding and support from local organizations to introduce theater to children ages 1 to 5 and make sensory-based productions more accessible throughout the region

“It sounds like a big goal, and it is, but we’re going to talk to community centers, hospitals, homeless shelters – wherever we can bring the show and bring joy,” she said.

Season’s Magical Adventures: A Sensory Play premieres May 6 at the Wyck House. Two other shows are scheduled, May 7 at the Abington Arts Center and May 13 at Historic Fair Hill.

Registration for the 45-minute production opens March 1 and can be found on the group’s website. For more information, visit phillychildrenstheatre.org.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer