Langston Hughes’ iconic character Jesse B. Semple will come to life on stage at the North Carolina History Center Thursday, July 16, at 7 p.m. for “The Best of Semple.” Actor and journalist Thomasi McDonald will become Jesse B. Semple, a character who focuses on topics like race, love and politics to create a portrait of what Hughes called the "everyman,” and gave African Americans a sense of hope. A graduate of North Carolina Century University where he studied theatre, performance art, and journalism, McDonald has appeared in numerous productions including August Wilson’s “Fences” and “Gem of the Ocean.”