b'Theater featuring the music of Duke Ellington everyoutforthem.Ittrulybenefittedus,especially Wednesday and Thursday from 5:15 pm -7:30 pm.duringCOVID.Ifitwasntforthecommunity thatwesowedintoandcultivatedrelationships THE STRUGGLE AND THEwith, we probably would have died during COVID TRIUMPH becausetheyweretheonesthathelpedtokeepus AnativeofDillon,SC,Jamessaysthathewas adopted and raised in Seattle Washington following the tragic death of his dad in a car accident.After performinginLasVegasfor25years,James saidheandhiswifeDr.GraceStephens,visited MyrtleBeach.Grace,aneducatorandastute businesswoman,likedthearea,sotheypurchased ahomeandenjoyedvacationinginMyrtleBeach regularly.Whenever they were in Myrtle Beach the couple would take in shows at the Alabama Theater. Whiletheshowswereenjoyable,they cateredtoa white audience, says James.My wife told me my shows were better than those and we should do our own thing. Living in Chicago at the time, they both agreedandbegansearchingforavenue.Initially, James remained in Myrtle Beach and Grace flew back and forth from Chicago to assist him.They found an open space tucked away at the Waccamaw Pottery in Myrtle Beach. The space had been closed for several years and the couple converted it into a top-of-the-linevenueandnamedittheAsher Theater.Grace explained that they opened the theater on April 18, 2018.Declaring we did it for God. Grace said they opened the theatre in the name of Jesus - hence the name Asher Theater after one of 12 tribes in the bible. Jamessaysthatinitiallytheystruggled,andhewas contemplatinggivingup.However,hisbusiness-savvywifeandgoodfriend,comedianSinbad, encouragedhimnottogiveup.TheChancellorof Generations College, formerly MacCormac College, Grace said she is known as the turnaround manager. MacCormac was in trouble and about to close.She washiredbytheprovostasassociatedean,turned itaroundandbecamepresidentin2011.James describeshimselfastheentertainerandGraceas thebusinessentertainmentmanagerwhohandles thefinancesandproductions. Thankstohiswifes businessacumenandSinbadsencouragementand support, he hung in there and things turned around. alive.While all the other theaters were closed, some PUTTING THE COMMUNITY FIRST permanently,wewereabletocontinuetohaveour The couple knew they would cater to the communityshows,invitemembersofthecommunitytocome and tourists, but according to James they intentionallyand they were more than happy to do it because they decided to cater to the community first and it workedwanted us to stay open, James says with pride. IMARA15'