Girlfriend, It's Just a Storm

 

I had the opportunity of attending a church play that had a friend and her daughter as part of the cast. The title Girlfriend, It's Just a Storm was performed at The Star once known as New Rising Star Baptist Church. 

The play concerns four friends who meet for lunch just to catch up after a number of years being apart. Each friend is experiencing  "a storm" in her life. None share their storm out loud in detail to  the others. Later, we see each one of the characters in her own vignette revealing what her life struggle is.

 Will  Jane's *  breast cancer surgery and reconstruction be successful?  Will her fiancé still want to marry her after such a body and life altering experience?

pictured  l.to.r. : Jane, Jane's, fiancé and  mother.

Between scene changes we were treated with humor by, 

                                                      Two Ladies and a Pocketbook

                                                                            ***

As a self-employed business woman, Diane is facing bankruptcy due to the pandemic and a backlog in shipment of merchandise.  This predicament finds her plagued by creditors, utilities in arrears and  repossession of her car.

 Since the death of his brother Shirley's  husband  no longer attends church service  or spends time with her, 

                                          Two Ladies and a Pocketbook

***

 Mary is a hospital worker whose mother has dementia.  The in-home caregiver's own mother has fallen and she'll be leaving immediately to take care of her. This leaves Mary in a dilemma. Who can she get to care for her mother on such short notice? 

In each scene, unseen by the characters, an angel comes to them with news of hope and trust in God telling them they're only going through a storm in life.

The Outcome

Jane*  is cancer free, her reconstruction  a success and her fiancé  still loves her

Diane receives  a letter stating that a rich relative has died leaving her $650,000.

Mary receives a call from the Home Care Service agency stating that they'll be sending out a Home Health Aide the next day along with improved meds for her mother.

Shirley's husband is visited by the angel. He prays and decides to reunite himself with the church and his wife.

When Shirley returns because she forgot her purse, her husband decides to attend church services with her.

                                                         ***

When the women reunite each one tells the storms they have experienced and how God made a way and saw them through.

 The cast of,  Girlfriend, It's Just a Storm

***

Playwright, Mona Dilworth, author of Girlfriend, It's Just a Storm, accepting flowers

* Jane- I was unable to remember the character's name so I named her Jane.

That's it ⛪⛪⛪

The Mystery of Love and Sex

SUCH a pretty day not to get out . I made a last minute decision to attend a Sunday matinee of  live theatre done by Terrific New Theatre,  one of the little theatres here in Birmingham.   The Mystery of Love and Sex was the offering. The online teaser stated:

“Deep in the American South, Charlotte and Jonny have been best friends since they were nine. She's Jewish, he's Christian, he's black, she's white. Their differences intensify their connection until sexual desire complicates everything in surprising, compulsive ways. An unexpected love story about where souls meet and the consequences of growing up.”

This was my first time attending a TNT production. In fact  I went to the WRONG theatre which was Birmingham Festival Theatre to which I have been too before.  As a searched for a parking space,  I wondered why I didn’t  see anyone on the theatre grounds.  Discovering my mistake  Latoya (that’s my car’s name) and I did a turn around  hoping to make it to the correct address  Luckily TNT wasn’t too far away.  

I made it in well before the curtain went up.

According to the  Who’s Who on the program, the cast included:

 Russell E. Alexander II (Jonny)   is a Senior Theatre Arts Major at The University of Alabama at  Birmingham (UAB) who’ll be graduating this April. He has performed  numerous works here and in other cities 

Beth Kitchin (Lucinda)  has performed in over 30 productions in the Birmingham area. She is an Assistant  Professor of  Nutrition  Sciences at UAB. 

*I immediately recognized her from her nutrition advisory spots on the local morning show, Good Day Alabama

Judd McCluney (Howard)   made his debut with TNT in 1987.  He has performed in countless productions here and elsewhere.  He too studied at UAB, been a member of  the  Birmingham Shakespeare Ensemble, City Equity Theatre and Ravenswood Productions.

Laura Elson Towns (Charlotte) This was her fifth performance with TNT. She has also performed with BFT and Virginia Samford Theatre.

George “Buddy” Cannon (Howard’s  father) is a retiree with a long history of stage performances over the years. This was his first performance with TNT

This was definitely not a dramedy  (comedy-drama)  for children. There were adult themes and scenes.  Also present were infidelity, sexual tensions, racism, homosexuality, alcohol, marijuana and tobacco. 

I was gripped in a trance as each actor finessed his/her character exhibiting a roller coaster of emotions of which I was a passenger.   A brilliant  presentation.  I left the theatre sated from the performance.

Very cozy inside with head shots of various actors.

Photo opp with Russell E. Alexander II who portrayed Jonny.

I would have requested photos from the other actors but he is the only one I saw.

That's it