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Ernestine Crump, played by DSU student Jacqueline Smith (right), converses with Gerte (played by Dragana Jankovic), during scene of Crumbs from the Table of Joy that will be performed March 24-26.

  DSU Presents "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" March 24-26

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Delaware State University will present the Lynn Nottage play Crumbs From The Table Of Joy during three 7:30 p.m. performances Wednesday thru Friday, March 24-26 in the Education & Humanities Building on campus.

The 1950s-period two-act play is free and open to the public.
 
Directed by Dr. Donald Brown, the production features a five-member cast – a mix of DSU students, staff and community actors. The story takes place during the 1950s in Brooklyn and follows a year in the life of the Crump family – a religious widower and his two daughters – after they moved to the Big Apple from Florida.
 

Godfrey "Goodness" Crumb, played by Carlos Holmes (top), and Ermina Crump, played by DSU student Crystal Ingram, rehearse a scene from Crumbs from the Table of Joy.
While still dealing with the culture shock of living in the populous New York City, the family’s life is further complicated by the arrival of the deceased mother’s sister – the militant and amoral Lily, creating an unwanted sexual tension for Godfrey “Goodness” Crump, the widowed family patriarch.
 
The family is thrown for an additional loop when Godfrey suddenly enters into an unlikely marriage that provokes the ire of Lily and the discomfort of his daughters. The story is told through the eyes and narration of the oldest daughter Ernestine, who is to become the first Crump family high school graduate that year.
 
“The play tells a story that takes place just after War World II and just prior to the initial push of the civil rights movement,” said Dr. Brown. “The plot deals with pointed issues in race relations.”
 
The play features Carlos Holmes as Godfrey “Goodness” Crump, Sylvia Carson as his sister-in-law Lily and Dragana Jankovic as his wife, Gerte. DSU students Jacqueline Smith and Crystal Ingram portray his daughters “Darling” Ernestine and “Devout” Ermina, respectively.