My plays focus on a variety of subject matters. Some are based on true events or real people, others are fictionally based. In each play, it is my intention to accomplish something, whether it is to identify or bring more attention to African American people who are not widely known or acknowledged but who have done something positive to better the human condition, or uncover the intellect, ingenuity and diversity that exists in Black culture.
In addition to putting a spotlight on those African Americans who have gone unnoticed in the history books, it is my goal to present compelling plays that tell stories about “ordinary” people, in ordinary circumstances who happen to be African American, stories that include African American protagonist and/or antagonist not as downtrodden, impoverished, slaves or victims, but rather as people who have universal stories to tell that could be anyone’s story. I write about situations that cross racial, cultural and geographic boundaries and tell universal stories presented through an African American lens.
I love words, I love dialogue. It is my hope that the plays I write, sculpt and ultimately present will educate, inform, or just entertain and leave people thinking, feeling something, anything – good or bad – but wanting to talk about what they saw on stage. I believe that people sharing thoughts can start dialogues that break down defenses and provide opportunities for understanding. I also seek to write plays about African Americans that I don’t find nearly as frequently as I’d like – stories above love and family, stories that are uplifting and positive.
I am a playwright born and raised in Rochester, New York. I am the eighth child of Eunice and Abraham Thomas, hence the company name, “Eighth Child Productions.”After a 32-year career with the Monroe County Law Department as a legal secretary, a paralegal and a senior paralegal, I retired in 2021 to commit time to my love of theatre and playwrighting. From about the age of nine, I wanted to be an actress but in high school my interest inplaywriting overtook the desire to act on stage and screen. My first production to appear on stage was a one-act play in 2003 called, “The Stage Mother; A Love Story.” My early plays center around family dynamics. Coming from a large family, it was natural for me to adhere to the maxim “write what you know.” In addition to writing for the joy of creating, I hope my plays will be a tool for learning. African American stories often get overlooked and are lost to history. I want to shine a light on untold African American stories.
My first efforts in this regard are a full-length play titled, Mr. Soul! and a one-act play titled Isabella Dorsey, a House of Love. Mr. Soul! is based on the television show Soul!, which aired from 1968-1973, and its host, Ellis Haizlip. Isabella Dorsey is a glimpse into the life an African American woman in early 20 th century Rochester, who opened her home to mostly orphaned African American children. African Americans have a history rich with beautiful, courageous and fascinating stories to tell. I want to help bring those stories to life on the stage.