FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Audience given life lessons at Gracious Granny's coffee shop.
Fort Belvoir celebrated Black History Month Thursday with an observance which featured a play performed by N & R Productions out of Woodbridge.
The play titled "I Think I Can," was written by the owner, writer and producer of N&R Productions, Rosie Rogers, who has penned more than 40 stage plays and five screenplays, and is working on two books.
With "The History of Black Economic Empowerment" as this year's Black History Month theme, Sgt. 1st Class Felicia Alston, Belvoir's equal opportunity adviser worked with Rogers to customize the play for the event.
"We are a community theater group and we get calls to custom make plays based on the themes of various events," Rogers said. "When Felicia told me the theme was economic empowerment and Black History, I thought about how it ties to today, because right now in our world we are going through a lot of economic challenges.
"I thought it would be good to marry the two and show, if they could do it, then we could hold on and do it now," Rogers said.
Rogers' play was full of different messages, but, she said, there was one in particular she wanted the audience to take home.
"The theme [of the play] is wherever you are right now, if you don't like it, then you don't have to stay there," Rogers said. "It's a power thing. All you need to do is think about how you can change it, and that is how I live my life personally.
"I want people to see this play and think of a plan or a way to make a difference in this world," Rogers said.
The setting of the play was Rogers' character's Goodness Gracious Coffee Shoppe. Her play took the audience through the trials and tribulations of everyday life for several characters. It touched on relationships, financial issues and other difficulties people encounter on a daily basis.
Throughout the play, Gracious Granny uses her life experiences and wisdom to educate her young employees and other customers.
Afterward, Installation Commander Col. Jerry Blixt and Installation Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Berhane presented Rogers with a plaque in thanks for her production.
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