Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, John O'Neal

Alabama State Arts Council Director Al Head interviews John O'Neal, actor, playwright, founder and now retired artistic director of Junebug Productions based in New Orleans. As a civil rights activist beginning in the early 1960s he co-founded the Free Southern Theater.  He is probably best know for his widely toured character Junebug Jabbo Jones, a mythic figure who symbolizes the wisdom of common people.  O’Neal has written eighteen plays, a musical comedy,  poetry and several essays.  He is a winner of a Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World award (2005), the Award of Merit from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (2010) and the United States Artists Award. He was in Alabama demonstrating elements of the Story Circle Project to Arts leaders here.  The Story Circle concept allows individuals to share intimate stories about themselves to help bridge understanding between races. (more)

MP3 audio