It ’ s been a while since we ’ ve covered a stage play here at UG Digital , but it ’ s definitely both an honor and pleasure to have an opportunity in checking out Deepest Shades of Blue . Written by Playwright Tisha Griffith , Deepest Shades of Blue centers around the many trials , emotions , and life changes that come along with a diagnosis of HIV . It ’ s a story that resonates with so many and is embedded in so many communities , yet it ’ s something that so few actually cover or dig deep into . Through the story displayed in this stage play , audiences are learning that it ’ s no longer an automatic death sentence , and they ’ re learning how to deal with it , whether it ’ s them directly , family , or friends .
We recently featured Tisha and the full cast on our weekly radio broadcast , UGD Live , and of course , we had to catch her again to get her here in the mag .
UG Digital Mag : It ’ s so wonderful to connect with you again . Of course , it was great having you on UGD Live . So for our readers , talk about the play , the story behind it , and what you want people to get ?
Tisha Griff : I wrote Deepest Shades of Blue in 2014 , because I wanted to talk to the epidemic playing in the african american community . It ’ s the story of a woman ’ s life and her trials and tribulations , centering around HIV . It speaks to the different emotions she went through . That could be despair , joy , or just being gloomy . I wanted to talk to the stigma that surrounds the disease and why people don ’ t talk about it , or let people know their status . They fear they ’ ll be treated differently than if they were to admit their status . Having HIV is not a death sentence . People live long and healthy lives with the disease . Letting people know about the disease will erase the stigma that is attached , and letting people know their status is how we stop the spread of the virus . That ’ s what I wanted to get across when I wrote Deepest Shades of Blue .
UG Digital Mag : I know this will be in the Louisville area in April . How close to being prepared is everyone ? How are rehearsals going ?
Tisha Griffith : As my cast likes to put it , I turn into director-zilla during the last week ( laughing ). I let my cast do their own thing , but in the last week , it ’ s game time . Anything with my name attached must be perfect . When people are spending money , I don ’ t do anything halfway . It ’ s 100 %. That ’ s the great thing with the cast I work with . Not only is my name attached , but their ’ s is too , so they take great pride in that . We ’ ve done this play in 2014 , so it ’ s our second time now . It ’ s kind of like a brush-up .
UG Digital Mag : It all sounds amazing , and given the fact you did this in 2014 , do you see it touring around more ?
Tisha Griffith : What we try to do is three plays a year . This is my third original stage play . It depends on the year and how I feel . Last year , we did my play “ Inconvenient Truth ”, and this year , I wanted to bring out Deepest Shades of Blue . I may want to bring out the play I did in 2010 , called “ Playing By Life ’ s Rules ”. It just depends on how I feel that particular year . I ’ m writing a new play right now , called “ The Death of a Butterfly ”. I ’ m trying to venture out into film making . In April , I ’ ll be taking a course that will highlight film-making and screenplay writing . That will be my next project . I try to plan at least a year in advance .