Urban Grandstand Digital Issue 10 | Page 25

A look at I’LL BE SINGLE BEFORE I SETTLE A Stage Play by Shaneisha Dodson Anyone who knows me knows I love seeing a good stage play. I’ve always been intrigued by those who can take the time and put together a good storyline and play for the world to see. Shaneisha Dodson has done just that. The story behind “I’ll Be Single Before I Settle” is nothing short of amazing, and will touch on many things, from child molestation to domestic violence, two things that unfortunately are highly prevalent in the urban community. As much as we try to cure society, these things continue to tear up our communities.  and tour across the U.S., then anything is possible. I also want to represent social change because that is the focus of our play.  We had the amazing opportunity to talk with Shaneisha about the upcoming play, which will hit the Atlanta area this June. The talk was awesome, and stands as an intro to our talk with her and the cast, which will come together soon when we broadcast LIVE on UGD Live. For now, check out our exclusive!  UG Digital Mag: What are you doing to spearhead that movement and show that women can indeed do this, and make it so women won’t find it as difficult in the future? UG Digital Mag: It’s amazing to catch up with you today. I really appreciate your time this afternoon.  Shaneisha Dodson: Oh, thank you so much.  UG Digital Mag: Starting off, before we get into anything about your upcoming play, I would love for you to talk about how you first got into writing, and how that ultimately translated into you writing a play? Obviously, you went to school and have a degree for psychology. Most wouldn’t put the two together.  Shaneisha Dodson: I found my love for writing in high school. My English Composition teacher gave me an assignment, and the goal was to improve every time. Each time I did the paper, I earned 100%. It was a narrative, which was a non-fictional story. I thought maybe I was onto something. In college, I worked in the theatre department for a fee waiver. I majored in Psychology though. I wrote my first book in 2004, and from there I continued to write. By 2012, I wanted to see my work come to life. That was how I started Black Girlz Productions. People always ask how Psychology connects. Psychology teaches about the human mind, so it’s very good for character development. It allows you to get inside the heads of the people and make these characters come to life.  UG Digital Mag: You’re very well accomplished with all you’ve done, and I think that’s amazing. It’s obviously going to work wonders for you in this business. What do you feel like you want to represent personally as a playwright? Shaneisha Dodson: As a playwright, I want to represent a positive image for African American women. I want people to look at me and say that if she can build a company from the ground up UG Digital Mag: Do you feel it’s more difficult because you’re a woman? Shaneisha Dodson: Absolutely. A lot of times, people say they can’t believe i’m doing this because it’s mostly men who are writing plays. I say we do it too.  Shaneisha Dodson: I try to tell everyone to do their research, and make sure this is what they really want to do. A lot of times, people tend to follow the trends. You have to make sure you’re passionate about it. Make sure you save your money because plays are very expensive. In this industry, nothing is guaranteed. You may sell out a show today, or the next day you may only have seven people in the audience. Make sure you are passionate about it. UG Digital Mag: Who are other playwrights that you’ve studied, and looked up to as you’ve grown in this profession? Shaneisha Dodson: I would have to say Shelley Garrett and Tyler Perry. They are two of my favorites. A lot of people don’t know about Beauty Shop. That’s one of the original plays that hit home for a lot of African Americans.  UG Digital Mag: So now, to talk a little about your play that’s coming up, this is a story that will bring to light the many struggles of domestic violence. Talk a little about that? Shaneisha Dodson: “I’ll Be Single Before I Settle”, we opened with that play February 2015 in Little Rock, AR. My focus was on domestic violence. I felt like this was something we needed to address. You never hear about it unless it happens to someone close, or it gets media attention. I wanted to bring awareness to this in a fun way, still allowing people to pay attention and leave knowing that if they’re in a situation, they can get out of it. I wanted people to know it’s not something to be embarrassed about. That was the real purpose.  UG Digital Mag: What other topics are covered in the storyline? Shaneisha Dodson: We also touch on HIV awareness, and then we touch really quickly on child molestation.