369 Monologue and Short Play Festival

Nine evenings of heart-warming, dramatic, funny, heart-breaking, and provocative short plays and monologues by 12 emerging Black playwrights.

Performances by various directors, including Stephanie Hickling Beckman, take place April 6-22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wortham Center for the Performing arts, 18 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville.

Join the Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective for a mix of 15 intriguing pieces, including the work of Cooper Bates, award-winning writer of Black When I Was A Boy. Cooper will be premiering Soul’d Out, the sequel to Black When I Was a Boy.

Ask Me, a monologue written by Debra Cole
Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 22
A retired teacher is still guiding the questions. Featuring Alexandra McPherson.

Black When I Was A Boy, a play written by and starring Cooper Bates
Thursdays April 6, 13, and 20
Black When I Was A Boy is an honest, moving, and even humorous look at a complex, fascinating, and powerful coming of age story. It’s Cooper Bates’ autobiographical recollection of the extraordinary inner life of his younger self – Frankie Bates. Growing up as a black child in a small caucasian community in Kansas (population 1,500), Bates never saw himself as black until he was cast as Jim in the school production of Huckleberry Finn in 6th grade.

Black’d Out, a play written by and starring Cooper Bates
Thursdays April 6, 13, and 20
Black’d Out explores Frankie’s journey through young adulthood as his pursues his dream of becoming an actor in a world which prioritizes his blackness as something to be stereotyped and tokenized. This play contains descriptions of rape culture and violence.

BuT yOuR eNgLiSh Is So GoOd! A play written by Paloma Sierra directed by Kristi DeVille
Friday, April 14 and Friday, April 21
A choreopoem inspired by the phrase “But your english is so good!” Featuring Alex McDonald Villareal, with Daniel Henry, Kirby Gibson, Lauren Otis and Alexandra McPherson.

You Are Going To Do Amazing Things, a monologue written by Quinn Xavier Hernandez
Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 15
A young father records a message for the newborn daughter whom he’s given up for adoption and whom he may never know. One piece, two actors, two perspectives. This piece features Daniel Henry and Alex McDonal Villareal.

Collective Empathy Formation From 1968-2018, a play written by Calley N. Anderson
Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 22
Five research study participants gather in a conference room. Their task appears simple and straight-forward: select ten events from the year 1968 that they feel impacted the nation’s conscious and view of empathy. What transpires is a reflection of what is seen, heard, and missed when history, memory, and living bodies must merge in unflinching ways. Featuring Lauren Otis, Simone Roos Snook, Rodney Smith, Alex McDonald Villareal and Alexandra McPherson.

Hashtag Jones, a play written by Olivia Matthews
Saturdays April 8 and 22
A hashtag comes to life and embodies the tragic story of a young man trapped in a Twitter war. Featuring Righteous Luster, Alexandra McPherson, Sharvis Smith.

How Dare You?, a monologue written by Jonathon Benjamin
Saturday, April 8 and Friday, April 21
A monologue written in response to the question, “Why do black people always have to state that they’re black or bring the conversation to race?” Featuring Lateasa Bond.

How To Tie A Tie, a play written by Brittney S. Harris
Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 15
How to Tie a Tie centers around middle-aged couple Charles and Grace Walker as they are preparing for their child’s marriage to someone of the same sex. With considerable time constraints and conflicting views, Grace tries to get Charles to attend the wedding although his own “traditional beliefs” questions the holiness of their child’s union. Will they make it to their child’s wedding? Featuring Cooper Bates and Simone Roos Snook.

My 3 Closets, a monologue written by Valerie Curtis-Newton
Saturday, April 8 and Friday, April 14
A Queer/Christian journey toward authenticity. Val gives a guest sermon on the importance of opening our closets. Featuring Sharvis Smith.

Not Another White Girl Ramble, a monologue written by Elizabeth Decasse
Fridays April 7 and 14
A single lens perspective on history. Featuring Lauren Otis.

Only Black, a monologue written by Kristy Thomas
Fridays April 7 and 22
Dr. Kevin Watkins is a superintendent in a local school district. In this moment he is working diligently to tie his tie but realizes that it is not his strength. It joyfully reminds him every day just how dynamic his father was at everything including ties. He talks about his life as a teacher. All he wanted to be was a teacher so that black children could have support and his white students could experience a black male teacher. Featuring Rodney Smith.

Protest, a play written by David Hansen
Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8
A demonstration in how one voice really can have an impact and there is hope when we can get someone stuck in their ways to see that change will come. Featuring Kirby Gibson and Lauren Otis.

The Sign, a play written by Julie Zaffarano
Saturday, April 8, and Fridays April 14 and 21
Rene parks her car in front of Petey’s house to attend a Black Lives Matter rally. When Petey sees her sign, he accosts her. Will this chance meeting divide or heal? Featuring Lateasa Bond and Daniel Henry.

White Board, a monologue written by David Hansen
Saturday, April 8 and Saturday, April 22
A monologue about a hate word written on a whiteboard. One piece, two actors, two perspectives. Features Righteous Luster and Alex McDonald Villareal.

White-ish, a play written by Deidre Staples
Saturday, April 15 and Friday, April 21
Dotty is black. Dotty discovers she wants to be white. White-ish takes us on a black girl’s comical journey of identity and acceptance through a panhandling street kid, a black revolutionary, and sorority girls. Featuring Kirby Gibson.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.differentstrokespac.org/2022-2023-season.