Lillie Evans' Play "Take My Hand" Set for 6 Performances at IndyFringe Onyx Festival

TAKE MY HAND (A Blues Man's Path to Gospel), written by Speed City Sisters in Crime author and playwright, Lillie Evans will be presented at the 7^th annual Indyfringe Onyx Festival.  There will be six performances beginning March 23, 2018.

The drama centers on the life of Thomas A. Dorsey, a self-taught piano man, singer, and composer, who struggles with the fact that he is not recognized, appreciated or compensated by white music publishers during the 1920's and 30's. 

Dorsey struggled for years, straddling the fence between blues and gospel, in an effort to combine the two styles in a way acceptable to churches.  He remained uncertain which path to take until an unfortunate tragedy threatened to end his career and possibly his life.  Through the ordeal, emerged one of the best known gospel songs of all time, 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord.'

Lillie is an author and playwright, and a long-time member of Speed City Sisters in Crime. Her writing includes the comic mystery Grandmothers, Inc. series, co-written with fellow Speed City Sisters In Crime member Crystal Rhodes.  The series includes two novels (Grandmothers, Incorporated and Saving Sin City) and two plays (Grandmothers, Incorporated and Stakeout). The play Grandmothers, Incorporated was produced Off Broadway at the Billie Holiday Theater in New York City, where it enjoyed a twelve week run.  Lilly also wrote the play Is God Calling My Name? Her play Take My Hand was selected for a reading at the prestigious National Black Theater Festival.  

You can find out more about Lillie at www.lilliebarnettevans.com or www.grandmothersincorporated.com 

Take My Hand in part of the IndyFringe Onyx Festival celebrating  African American playwrights.  

The 7th Annual OnyxFest Onyx Fest is Indianapolis' first and only theater festival dedicated to the stories of African American playwrights. The inaugural Onyx Fest in 2012, was developed in response to the lack of diversity on stage and in audiences of Indianapolis' theaters; except the IndyFringe Theater. IndyFringe has actively worked towards embracing diversity in the Indianapolis theater scene and these efforts have yielded fruit by working with African American playwrights to change the Indianapolis theatrical landscape of storytellers, actors and audiences at the IndyFringe Theater. Onyx Fest is another step in the IndyFringe Theater's commitment to provide support and a performance venue that is inclusive of all playwrights who make up the Indianapolis community.  

Dates:  March 23/24/25 - March 30/31/April 1

Location:  Indyfringe Basile Theater, 719 E. St. Clair, Indianapolis, Indiana

Tickets information:  www.indyfringe.org or /317-308-9800

Speed City Sisters in Crime Play "Deadbeat" Chosen for 2018 Indy Theater Fringe Festival

Post by M. B. Dabney

Deadbeat, a play collectively written by the Speed City Chapter of Sister of Crime, has been chosen for the 2018 Fringe Fest in Indianapolis. The play is the first project of its kind for any chapter of the national Sisters in Crime organization.

The one-act play will premiere in the 2018 Indianapolis Theater Fringe Festival, which is held every summer in August. There will be six performances of the two-woman dark comedy. The specific dates have not yet been set.

The play is about two middle-aged women who discover the dead body of their ex-husband – and each thinks the other is the killer.

As the rights owner and producer of the play, the chapter plans to use it as a fundraiser. The play’s running time will be roughly 40-45 minutes.

The chapter started the play last June at the suggestion of chapter member Crystal Rhodes, herself the author of numerous plays. As the chapter pulled together a group of writers to work on the play, Crystal served as the project’s mother superior and guide, directing, suggesting and correcting where needed but allowing the project to move forward in its own way.

Crystal and her sometimes writing partner Lillie Evans, who’s also a chapter member, provided invaluable insight into the structure of a play and how it should be presented. The chapter owes them both a great debt.

IndyFringe is a “riotous celebration of theatre old and new, edgy and not-so-edgy.” Held over an 11-day period in the Mass Ave. Cultural District in Indianapolis, the festival will host 64 performing groups on eight stages for a total of 384 performances.