Ms. Gwen Adams-Evans

 

@OnTheRiseMag: Expound on the genesis of becoming a playwright?

Gigi: In the beginning of my writing  career, at the age of ten, I learned how to expand my horizons as I read and listened to my two grandmothers, talk about their lives, the culture and living.
In addition to the stories from my grand mothers, the library was my favorite place  including my English and literature classes in school.  The older I became ,I became in synch with myself and my own style of writing.  I love being in control of the images inside my mind I can freely write about.

Writing is the secret love affair I have with my pen; my note book and my thoughts .The creative side of me is a “never ending story” of characters, dialog and settings; my exploration inside my mind, the people I see with my minds eye will forever be my passion.

@OnTheRiseMag: With passion being the bedrock of your creativity, talk to us about your first written play?

Gigi: My first written play was when I was 16 years old, titled Daddy, why Don’t You Stop Drinking?

It was a true story based on my life with my five siblings and my mom who experienced a lifestyle with a dad who drank all of the time. He was an amateur boxer and ironically enough, she was also his sparring partner who always managed him, back in 1938-1940. He never made it to the big time, but he was a celebrity in the community. He would always win. He rarely ever shared his winnings with my mom.

Writing that play showed me that I was creative. At the community playhouse, which was actually a sitting area similar to a gazebo, all the neighbors would pay me a dollar to see my play.

Since mom worked two jobs, the money I made for my play revealed to me that I was headed in the right direction.

@OnTheRiseMag:  Great story and very funny but let’s fast forwarded to  2014. Currently you have completed another play and what is the title and subject matter?

I have written 3 plays and the current one is A Journey In Faith , 2014 Production date for April 26,2014, In Atlanta, Ga.

INTRODUCTION:

 Joshua Black, a man, with a deep Christian background, decided to leave his church at the age of eighteen years old and hit the streets selling and using drugs.  For his crimes he went to jail for a year. Upon his release he lived in a half way house for another year. As he slowly declined, he left God and would not pray. His  world was free of obligations, child support, and the rules of society. He was who he desired to be, a free man without God. All he wanted was to live and stay high on drugs. He became a neighborhood thief, stealing small valuable items just to keep his high going on. Joshua half way house remained in the half way house until he was released and drug free. He was finally clean, yet unclean in his spirit. God was still not a part of his life.

One day, his girlfriend Shay, tired of him not working, found him a job at the community restaurant owned by Carlos her newly discovered stepbrother, who was taking care of his sick wife.  She (SHAY) wanted to see if things worked out for Joshua so she kept that part of her stepbrother (Carlos) a secret.

Later in that same year at Carlo’s soul food restaurant, Joshua was upgraded from dish washer to chief chef. All was good ,until Carlos fell behind in his restaurant mortage payments. His wife finally died of inoperable brain cancer and the bank for-closed on him.  All he owed was $3, 000.00 and he would own it. The bills were mounting . He kept  the restaurant open for as long as he could. No longer to make more money to pay for his wife’s mounting hospital bills, he became a hermit who lost his faith in God also. He let Joshua go and was bound by his own sorrows.

Joshua was out of a job.  The bank closed his restaurant. Both men needed to trust in God again. Eventually they both realized that they had to tell the storm no and allow God to keep them covered in the blood of Jesus. They realized that they had to break every chain to be free.

@OnTheRiseMag: Very interesting subject matter and if you could share as to how you came up with A Journey In Faith?

Gigi: This title came from a true life story of a family member who had lost his faith in God.

@OnTheRiseMag:  Life events are so compelling. Exactly what is the location, date, time , and where people can purchase tickets?

Gigi: My tickets go on sale tomorrow on Eventbrite.com an also at the door. The play is  a fundraiser to help the church (Peoples Tabernacle,396 Hollywood Rd. ATLANTA, GA.
There is a $10.00 donation for the tickets. In addition people can email me if they would prefer to mail a money order out for tickets. I have 8 left.

@OnTheRiseMag:  Thanks for this opportunity and my final question, provide for us Pearls of Wisdom by which you live?

Gigi: The Pearls of Wisdom I live by are simple life tools. I am the change I want to see in the world. As I struggled to raise my children, take writing, acting and drama classes I longed to be successful.I knew that success is not given, it is earned through patience and the desire to keep my dreams alive . With a mindset to make them become realities I utilized The Pearls Of Wisdom.

Playwright, Author, Producer,
Gwendolyn D.Adams-Evans,
Giwiz Productions LLC,
Email:gwenevans63@gmail.com