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Sobering topic to be on stage By JULIA GILLECO jgillego@liherald.com
Courtesy Hempstead schools
new Rhodes academy principal Michael Mcdermott coaxes a hesitate student to attend the first day of school.
two young Rhodes academy students follow principal Michael Mcdermott toward the school building on Sept. 3.
Helping to ease first-day jitters Rhodes Academy for the Humanities and the Arts in the Village of Hempstead welcomed 601 new and returning students for the first day of school on Sept. 3 with balloons, music, photos and a new principal. Most students were all smiles, but one new student missed his parents and couldn’t be coaxed into entering the building. New Principal Michael McDer mott stepped in with calming words, a hug finally an offer to help him unlock one of the doors, which was incentive enough. McDermott succeeds Sheena Burke, who retired.
The Academy opened in September 2021, and includes an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. The school consists of grades kindergarten through sixth. There are 31 classes; 22 monolingual classes, seven transitional bi-lingual classes, and two self-contained classes. In addition, English as a New Language classes are offered as well. Special Area classes include art, media, music, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and music), music ensemble, and physical education.
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Under the direction of Hempstead resident LaKeesha Gethers, a new stage production coming to Bellmore this October will use storytelling, humor and emotion to explore the realities that can accompany a breast cancer diagnosis, including struggles families may face behind closed doors. “Pink Ribbons and Cognac,” a production by Gethers under Skyeboxx Entertainment, will be presented at the Bellmore Movies on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The play, which Gethers wrote, produced and directed, is based on the true-life experiences of two women who battled breast cancer. “This is a true-life story of two women who battled breast cancer and at the same time battled alcoholism,” Gethers said. “So that’s why it’s called Pink Ribbons and Cognac.” While breast cancer is at the center of the production, Gethers said she also wanted to address alcoholism, which she believes is often overlooked or dismissed within families. “People may mention it, but people don’t realize that it’s a disease,” she said. “It’s something that goes kind of unnoticed in families sometimes.” The play also examines the emotional impact of a diagnosis and the importance of having a
support system. Its premise focuses on a woman’s diagnosis, which forces her and those around her confront long-buried truths, shining a light on the importance of early detection, support, forgiveness, and hope. Gethers said she has seen women navigate breast cancer without the support they need and hopes the production encourages audiences to recognize that they do not have to face the experience alone. Tenise Lewis, who plays Miss Clarissa, a breast cancer coordinator at a rehabilitation center, said her character embodies that message of encouragement. “She takes pride in encouraging and supporting the women as they navigate this sensitive, touching, emotional time in their life,” Lewis said. “She’s always advocating. She’s always trying to comfort and support and look at the optimistic perspective out of the situation.” Lewis, a breast cancer advocate whose family has been affected by the disease, said the play goes beyond simply discussing diagnosis and treatment. “We’re going behind the diagnosis,” she said. “We’re also focusing on the emotional, how families handle it and the different ways the survivors cope with it.” Lewis said she hopes audiences will leave with more knowledge, empathy and an openness to conversation. Continued on page 4