You dare not disobey!

Following the end of the production I collapsed in a heap of both physical and emotional exhaustion.  It was as if I had been up on stage every night myself rather than simply sitting in the audience.  But taking in the performances and thinking and feeling through what each actor was doing did engage me more than anything else in my life. 

I'm not sure how the actors move from one intense experience like this on to the next.  They are all younger but still it amazes me.  I'm looking forward to seeing the next shows they do.  Fred Pitts (Richard), Chris Nelson (William) and William Giammona (Luc) are each in upcoming productions.  Lonnie Haley (David) is doing a piece in the Fringe Festival and still performing as Mercedes Monroe at The Look Out!  Liam Hughes (Giovanni) is in London studying.

Wm Hunter (Jimmy) just performed one of the monologues for a group in the East Bay, Desiree Rogers (Lorraine) recorded some new music with her band. Check them all out on Facebook!

I also posted some pictures from the production on my FB page.

Today I'm going to Stanford to talk to a class studying Black women playwrights and am using the experience to launch me into the rewrites.  Here's Lorraine's final monolgue which I have to keep in mind as a cut and paste and start to look out to the world to see who wants to embrace my little baby.  I dare not disobey!

ACT II Scene 8

LORRAINE

“When the mystery is too overwhelming, you dare not disobey.”

Remember that from 'The Little Prince'? You were saying exactly this

with Luc and in the new book.

The mystery of desire draws you to both Luc and to this novel. 

Jimmy, we each suck our words from the breath the dead leave behind;

don’t lose sight of that.  Emmett Till’s bones will long be dust before

anyone understands how we need to speak of love.

If we don’t start listening to each other Armageddon might come

quietly like a whisper of gossip, weakening us until we no longer

believe in each other.

And if things are not working out with you and Luc I am so sorry. 

I have to believe there will be other loves. But books, true books do

not pull up to our stoops in taxi cabs!

It’s the beginning of a new world, Jimmy.  Damn the critics!

Lights down on Lorraine.