Official Selection of the 2023 BIPOC Playwrights Festival to be Co-Produced by Matthews Playhouse & African American Playwrights Group (AAPG) in September
Matthews Playhouse and the African American Playwrights Group (AAPG) are pleased to announce that Speakeasy, written by Rory D. Sheriff of BNS Productions in Charlotte, is the official selection of the 2023 Annual BIPOC Playwrights Festival. The festival, a collaboration between The Matthews Playhouse and the African American Playwrights Group (AAPG), is an initiative to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Matthews as well as the Charlotte Theatre community by highlighting original works by Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC). The festival follows AAPG’s founder Vickie L. Evans’ model from ‘Playwrights on Parade Festival’.
Four playwrights adapted their original plays into a 20-minute "preview" version and presented them to a live audience and panel of judges on Saturday, May 27th at Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte (CATCh). The semi-finalists were Donald Hall - Black Chip, White Chip, Alethea McCollin - Pastor Willie, Rory D. Sheriff - Speakeasy, and TaMara Goode - Reflections.
Cast of "Reflections" - Written & Directed by TaMara Goode. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Cast members from “Pastor Willie” Written by Alethea McCollin. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Several members of our judging panel- Hank West, Mack Staton, Corlis Hayes with the event moderator, Aisha Dew. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
The cast of “Black Chip, White Chip”, written by Donald S. Hall, pose backstage. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Cast of "Reflections" - Written & Directed by TaMara Goode.
A scene from 'Speakeasy", written by Rory D. Sheriff. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Vickie L. Evans speaks to the audience prior to the performances. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Cast of “Pastor Willie”, written by Alethea McCollin. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Alethea McCollin, author of “Pastor Willie”, takes a bow with her cast. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Cast of “Black Chip, White Chip”, written by Donald S Hall. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
Moderator Aisha Dew poses with Vickie L. Evans. Photo courtesy of Vickie L. Evans.
After careful review and deliberation, it was announced that Speakeasy had received the highest score from the judges, and would therefore be produced as a full-length play at Matthews Playhouse as part of the 2023-2024 season, September 22-24, 2023.
“I have so much respect for my fellow playwrights,” says Sheriff. “As artists, showing your work to an audience is extremely vulnerable,” he goes on to say. “If we're not strong mentally, we will shut down because we want to make the audience laugh and we want to make them cry - so we keep coming back and we keep sharpening each other’s iron.”
Set in 1978 Reading, PA, Speakeasy follows the story of Virgina, a young woman who decides to take control of her life by unlearning everything she was taught about how a woman should be. Her new outlook: “I am Black, I am proud, I am strong. I am woman. Respect that!” From opting out of her marriage to being faced with losing her childhood home for unpaid taxes are just the beginning. With more than a few reservations, she gives in to the idea of starting a Speakeasy to raise money for the house. Things get worse before they get better, but not before she meets someone who sees and loves her for who she really is. Tickets for Speakeasy are now on sale and range in price between $10-$19. Student, Senior and Military discounts are available. Information about the production and where to purchase tickets can be found by visiting matthewsplayhouse.com/speakeasyplay.
About the Playwright
Rory D. Sheriff is an award-winning Director, Producer, Playwright, and is the Founding Artistic Director of Brand New Sheriff Productions (BNS Productions), Charlotte's only Black Repertory Theatre Company. As one of the most recognized performing arts companies in the Charlotte region, BNS Productions has managed to captivate the hearts of audiences all over the country with award-winning performances highlighting the African American experience. In 2013, Rory wrote the screenplay, Be a Lion, after challenging himself with the question, “What happened after Dorothy returned to Harlem?” at the end of the 1978 hit, The Wiz. The screenplay vision didn’t pan out, but Be a Lion, the musical, and BNS Productions, were born. Nine seasons later, Rory went on to pen six stage plays, three short films, and is on track to produce all ten of August Wilson’s American century cycle of plays. His most recent award was Metrolina Theatre Associations 2022 “Theatre Person of the Year.”
About the African American Playwrights Group
The African American Playwrights Group, founded by Vickie L. Evans, is a collaboration of African-American playwrights, whose mission is to produce quality and excellent theater works in our communities and abroad. It is a privilege to incorporate the Playwrights Festival into our season and establish new relationships with community members.
About the Matthews Playhouse
Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts is a community based non-profit theatre committed to enriching the lives of children, adults, and families by inviting them to participate
in the world of performing arts and education. We commit to this mission by ensuring the excellence of our cultural programs for the participation and enjoyment of the people in our community.
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