The green golf course of Laurel Oak Country Club, the budding talent from the Ringling College of Art and Design, and the skilled performers of the West Coast Black Theatre Troupe all made the movie ‘Playing Through." It's a film set in the ’50s about Ann Gregory, the first African American golfer to play in the USGA tournament.
"I’ve known about Ann when I was little and started playing golf when I was 10,"‘ Playing Through’ actress Andia Winslow said.
Winslow plays Ann Gregory. After decades of pondering, and five years of pen to paper, Sarasota resident, Curtis Jordan finally made his story, come to life, writing it based on local ties that went beyond the setting.
"I never knew about Ann and I never knew my mom played against her," Jordan said.
Cast and crew helped Jordan with his first film.
So, Winslow and other cast members dissected the dialogue getting the film up to par.
Gregory’s pivotal role in history added pressure to the talent.
"I didn’t want to mess it up, but I realized I had to put that aside to not lead with fear but lead with kind of a hope to have generations of people who don’t know about Ann Gregory, to acknowledge her, celebrate her and amplify her story in her message and in her path," Winslow said.
"I think black bodies were only used for labor, but the people busted through saying 'No, we can actually reclaim our bodies and our time, and enjoy to be happy and to be free,'" Winslow said. "I’m a product of Ann Gregory."
