playbill vip

Notes from the Director...

This was a long time coming. My first play and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing talents.

The idea for Me & My Girlfriend  came about around 2010-11, during a rehearsal of John Suber's play, "Never Promise" I was sitting in John's house and writing down some notes for his play, when all of a sudden the idea about a woman whose in a relationship with her boyfriend that does not respect her, decides that in order for her to get the respect she deserves from her boyfriend, she would have to start wearing the "pants" too.

Now at first, I wasn't sure how I was going to write this play and then get on on stage, so I put the written ideas aside for three years and even up to that point I was still unsure as to how or what I was going to do with this wonderful idea for a play, so I had a talk with Stacie and then after she gave my the thumbs up, I called John and of course he was like let's do it! So great now that I opened my mouth I couldn't back down now so. I had to get started, but first thing first... I had to write the script, but I didn't want to do what I did before and let the idea sit for another three years, so I put the cart before the horse and booked a venue, yep, that's what I did put down a non refundable deposit, which of course I was not going to lose it all because I didn't start writing on a script. OK after the HUGE deposit. I grabbed my laptop and begin writing and I wrote and I wrote for three weeks and wow...

All I completed was fifteen pages. I got writer's block like no other, so I called my boo (Stacie) and I asked her could she be my muse, she said yes, I went over to her place sat down with a pad, pen and my laptop and she asked questions, who, what, where, when and how am I going to end it and she even put herself in the audience seat to help me with bringing out what was needed for me to complete the script and guess what? I went from fifteen pages to forty-something pages all while sitting at her home and then I completed the scirpt in two days! Whew thank you LORD and thank you Stacie.

Ok, so I got the venue and a completed script, now I needed actors, hmmmmm who should I cast. Well immediately I cast John Suber, because after all the character of SEAN BOYD could not be played by anyone but HIM! Then of course the songbyrd herself Patrice Wise was instantly cast as "KIT" and then I ran into a wonderful talent who actually was cast in a feature film that I also wrote called "CHILD SUPPORT" in 06' name Shae Anthony and I knew she would be the perfect person to play "TAYLOR." Now some may say never put your family in any film or play projects that you create, but I don't care because I went on ahead and chose my brother Otis Thomas to play "MIKE" why you ask? Well that's because he actually fit the role.

So here I was with four out of the ten actors I needed for "ME & MY GIRLFRIEND" so you know what had to happen next... That's right you guessed it. AUDITION TIME!

Well let me tell you, auditions can be the most time consuming process, but can also be the most fun and bottom line I got the reat of my talent.  Fe Goodson, Julian Rogers, Jae. L, Di the Comedian and Kyson Martin now Di the Comedian she didn't have to audition I just went on and cast her because I knew she was perfect for the role of "LUCAS."

As the preproduction began, the process took on a life on its own. The rehearsals, meetings, photoshoot and now all of the hard work paying off right now on stage. I tell you all this... I would do this all over again.