Crystal Rhodes Play Selected for American Stage Theatre 21st Century New Play Festival

Writing and Winning!

By 

Crystal V. Rhodes

In January 2017,

Crystal Rhodes

I presented a play that I wrote to the Speed City Chapter of Sisters in Crime critique group for review.  The title of the play is The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin.  Sisters in Crime is an international organization that offers networking, advice and support to mystery writers. 

Although I do write cozy mystery novels,  The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin is a play, but it’s not a mystery.  It is a heart wrenching story about an African American family that harbors a fourteen year old Japanese American boy who has escaped from one of the U.S. sanctioned internment camps during World War II.  

I’ve been writing novels for years.  I’ve been writing plays even longer, and presenting my work to this critique group was the first time I ever sought the opinion of those outside the theatrical community about one of my plays.  In my opinion, good writing is good storytelling, no matter the form.   

The members of the SIC critique group are excellent writers.  I respect the talent in this group, and trust their judgment.  Their suggestions are usually right on point, and the suggestions they made about the characters and the dialogue in my play proved more than helpful. 

Writers look for different things when joining a critique group.  Since I’m a versatile writer, one of the things I was seeking in such a group was fellow writers who were open to the challenge of appraising different types of work.  That’s what I consider a winning critique group.  I found what I was looking for in the Speed City Sisters in Crime organization.

Speaking of winning, I entered The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin in  two theatre festivals.  Last year, the play was chosen as one of a select few to be read at the National Black Theatre Festival.  Less than a month ago The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin was selected out of 500 entries as one of the winners of the American Stage Theatre 21st Century New Play Festival!  

From my point of view, being a writer who is a part of a good critique group is a real winner.
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C.V. Rhodes is a member of the Speed City Sisters in Crime chapter and co-author, with L. Barnett Evans, of the Grandmothers, Incorporated cozy mystery series.  Visit their website at www.grandmothersinc.com also visit Rhodes’ romantic suspense website at www.crystalrhodes.com.