History: The Conception and Impact of STAIN
Fall. 1972. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and protests, race riots and marches for freedom, two women, estranged by a family secret, come together to resolve the issues that once divided them. Jean, a working single mother of 6, and Bernice, a newly engaged expectant mother, meet. Over the course of thirty minutes, a painful past is exposed and we’re left to wonder whether there is hope for a better future. “Stain” is based on the third part of my stage play Deceit of Truth: A Chronicle in Three Parts, which enjoyed runs in both New York and Washington, DC. In New York, the play was presented twice: once in the form of two one acts (Mating Dance of the Scarlet Honeyeater and It’s In His Kiss) in the “Where Eagles Dare Short Play Festival”. Both parts were audience favorites with nearly sold-out performances. The second run was co-produced with NIA Productions uniting both parts into one full-length two act play. Again, we enjoyed a very favorable response. In 2011, we moved the play to DC as part of the 2011 DC Black Theater Festival, and Roneasha Bell and Reginald L Barnes received nominations for Best Direction and Best Actor respectively! The play has been called thought-provoking, provocative and brave by those who have seen it as the subject matter explores many issues deeply hidden under the fabric of this great American nation. In kind, the screenplay “Stain”, based on Epilogue: Family Embers, the third in the Deceit of Truth chronicles written in 2013, continues the social movement/issue-driven thread of the play by exploring themes pertinent to Black Identity, Race and the War, Gender Roles and Stereotypes relative to modern Feminism, and definitions of Family. While “Stain” is merely a glimpse into the lives of the two women central to its story, that peek is enough to learn of their history and what makes this moment in time important to them both. This piece has broad appeal to a diverse audience, and our hopes are to introduce it using as many different venues and platforms that are the film festivals, from women, black and indie shorts festivals, to regional and international festivals; but to do this, we have to reach our funding goal which will greatly impact our production deadline and fulfill festival submission requirements.
