By Kharisma McIlwaine
Stage plays have been a staple in the Black community for over 200 years. The foundation was laid in New York in 1821 with the establishment of the African Grove Theater. Since then, playwrights have been sharing our stories on stages all over the country.
Since its debut in 2012, “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed” has been making waves. Now playwright and director Lynette J. Blackwell and hip-hop legend Rob Base are bringing the comical stage play to Philadelphia. Lynette J. Blackwell spoke with The SUN about the inspiration behind the play, working outside of limitations and her hopes for her audiences.
A native New Yorker, Blackwell originally had aspirations to become a dancer and choreographer. She always had an interest in creative writing, taking courses to sharpen her pen in both high school and college, but didn’t consider becoming a playwright as a career choice. After hearing a message during a church service, she was inspired to write “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed,” which was originally entitled, “Unequally Yoked.”
“I was in a church service when the name, “Unequally Yoked” came to me… I kept hearing it in my head,” Blackwell said. “I wrote it down in a book, not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do with it, and then the story started to come out. I started to sit down to write this story about a family with this woman that came into their lives and destroyed it. I found that it was very therapeutic to write.”
Every day I sat down to write and I found therapy in it, because I was going through so much in my marriage,”she continued. “It wasn’t until years later after we separated that I had the revelation that the story — although the characters and the story aren’t about me — it was God’s way of telling me I was unequally yoked in my marriage. I found another way to express what I was dealing with through writing and developing these characters.”
Written and directed by Blackwell and executive produced by Rob Base (“It Takes Two” and “Joy & Pain”), “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed” tells the story of what can happen when people are not who they appear to be. This modern cautionary tale tackles forgiveness and transformation with comedy.
Lola, played by newcomer Victoria “Stormy” Scriven, is a stunning “Goal-Digger” and undercover heathen. She becomes the wife of Pastor Franklin Regis (Brio Bonn), and First Lady of The Church of Genesis to Revelations. Chaos ensues in the aftermath of Lola’s arrival.
The play stars some of Philadelphia’s top talent including singer/songwriter, Carol Riddick, Super Bowl XLI champion and actor, Brio Bonn (FKA Raheem Brock) New York King of Comedy, Capone, and NAACP nominated actor Alfred E. Rutherford. Blackwell sang the praises of her cast for the Philadelphia run of the show.
“Being able to work with the likes of comedian Capone and Carol Riddick has been a joy,” she said. “Carol is a breath of fresh air. She was amazing coming in and her work ethic is incredible. I’m loving the people that I’m working with. It’s a cast of 11, and I have four people that have worked with me since 2013.
Every time I work with a new cast, there are different things that you have to deal with, Blackwell continued. “One thing I can say about this year is that everyone came ready to work! At the first rehearsal, at the first table read people already knew their lines — all we had to do is go over blocking. They came in dedicated to the project and it’s been an amazing ride.”
Not only did Blackwell express the joy she experienced working with the cast, but she also spoke about what she has learned about herself in the process.
“It allowed me to find my self-worth and it pushed me to see what I actually could do as far as writing and becoming a playwright,” she said. “Sometimes we have passions that we sit on and we don’t realize what we can do with that talent. Being able to write and produce this play showed me that there was no ceiling. I could be more than just a dancer or choreographer. It showed me that I could have a career in this particular field.”
Since 2012, “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed” has had successful runs all over New York City, Alabama and in Atlanta under the direction of Blackwell’s mentor, the late great Shelly Garrett. Blackwell decided to continue bringing the show to various markets across the country.
“I’ve been wanting to take the show different places and I wanted to take it to a different market,” she said. “Once we moved to South Jersey, I saw that Philly was really populated as far as concerts and everything, but I didn’t hear a lot about theater. I didn’t really hear about us doing independent projects. So, I wanted to bring my project to the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.”
After searching for the perfect location for the Philadelphia show, Blackwell struck gold with the Independence Seaport Museum.
“I was looking for a theater that encompassed everything I needed — sound, lighting, the capacity, a really nice location and a beautiful theater,” she said. “The Seaport Museum was like a diamond in the rough, I don’t even know how I found them. I was looking for a while and a lot of the locations were booked already or there was something that was missing. When I finally found them, they had everything that I wanted. They were the perfect fit for me.”
Blackwell was eager to share what audiences can look forward to experiencing at the show.
“From the show opening to the end of the show, people are going to be on the edge of their seats,” she said. “There are so many twists and turns, it’s entertaining, they’re going to laugh, they’re going to shout at the stage because there are so many shenanigans going on.
“Carol is singing, or should I say ‘sanging’ some songs. People are going to be mesmerized by her. Capone is hilarious at what he does,” Blackwell continued. “There are so many characters that the audience will never know what happens until it happens. Based on our past audiences, people are going to walk away feeling entertained and happy no matter what show they come to.”
In addition to her success with “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed?” Blackwell’s short films “Twelve” and “Until They Left” “have also seen a great deal of success.
Be on the lookout for her newest web series “How I Drove My Mother To Drink” coming soon.
Visit www.lynetteblackwell.com for updates and to see the trailer. “Who’s This Sleeping In My Bed” will take place at the Independence Seaport Museum located at 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd on Saturday, October 26 at 3:00pm and 8:00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/lynette-j-blackwells-whos-this-sleeping-in-my-bed-tickets-65934388531.
Be sure to follow: @whosthissleepinginmybed on Instagram and Facebook for additional information and updates.
Leave a Comment