Emily Mann's Broadway, touring and regional play, subtitled The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, is drawn from the book by the long-lived African-American sisters who were witnesses to a large chunk of 20th century life, both personal and historic. Amy Hill Hearth co-wrote the book with the sisters, who have since died.

The 300-seat thrust stage of Triad Stage was carved out of a former Montgomery Ward store at 232 South Elm Street, in historic downtown Greensboro, North Carolina between  Market and Washington Streets. A few blocks away, a former Woolworth's is being renovated as a museum commemorating the famed sit-in that occurred there, protesting a whites-only lunch counter. The Triad troupe's artistic director is Preston Lane.

Actress Blackwell has also been seen on Broadway as Melba in The Me Nobody Knows and April in Via Galactica, and Off-Broadway as Mabel in Crowns (Second Stage Theatre); Dr. Glory Chantelle in Lopsided (The American Theatre of Actors); First Dates and One Night Stands,a self written poetry piece (Manhattan Theatre Source).

Actress Johnson appeared in The Little Foxes; M: The Mandela Saga (AUDELCO Award for Best Actress, Theatre for a New City); Believing (Playwrights Horizons); Home Affairs (Harold Clurman Theatre); Gramercy Park is Closed to the Public (NY Stage & Film, Vassar College).

Directed by Kaia Calhoun, the production reunites the director and design team of last season's Triad staging of A Lesson Before Dying. Designers are Andrew Cavanaugh Holland (scenic and costume) and Les Dickert (lighting), Jason Romney (sound).

For Triad Stage information, call (336) 272-0160 or visit www.triadstage.org.