(2) **ATLANTA’S GREATEST UNSIGNED ACTOR!**: Here Is My Resume’

*2014-15*

“I STEPPED OUT ON FAITH.”

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**THE** *ROBINSON*

**FAMILY**

STAGE PLAY/

ACTING BOOT CAMP

*”DIARY!”*

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In March, 2014, I stepped out on faith to pursue my dream of becoming an independent film producer.  I asked myself, “From where I am now, with the limited RESOURCES I have, how do I make that happen? How do I GET there?”  I already had the BASIC film script so I decided I would “test the waters” and “work out all the kinks” and do a stage play first. ABOVE is a picture of some of the first cast I put together!  

This is actress Courtney Foy.  She STARRED as “Coco Robinson” in my first stage play: “How To Stop Your Man From Cheating: ADVICE FROM MY FATHER’S OTHER WOMAN.” Courtney was an incredible, strong muse in the role of “Coco Robinson.”   

This photo is from cast auditions in April, 2014!  These people were soooooo interesting and inspired and “shaped” and TAUGHT ME sooooo much!

This is the cast of characters/actors that inspired “The Robinson Family.” They Are The ORIGINAL ROBINSON FAMILY.  These people INSTANTLY “vibed” with each other and felt like a family!  To this day, I don’t know if these folks know how much they shaped and inspired me.  lol! I keep using the word “inspire” because that’s the CORRECT word … they truly were my INSPIRATION … they were my MUSES! 

Here is another cast photo of the “early” Robinson family.  (That’s me in the middle with the black top on!)  Different people dropped out of the project for different reasons and I experienced INTENSE emotions and “growing pains.” I had MAJOR FEELINGS OF INSECURITY (I don’t mind sharing that with you) as I tried to get my dream RIGHT and keep it on track! I felt like giving up about a billion times but I couldn’t because writing and producing are my LIFE.  They are OXYGEN to me.  So, I stubbornly kept on going. 

This is me with some of the bikers at the motorcycle club!  I want to thank Striker’s Motorcycle Club in Atlanta, GA.  I was on a “shoestring” budget (that means “NO budget!” bahahahhaha!) so that’s where I held my auditions and most rehearsals.  I am forever grateful to them.  They helped make the dream happen.

I LOVE this photo so much.  This was June, 2014 and I had to do ANOTHER audition for the “new” Robinson family. I am sooooo emotional because looking at this photo makes me cry. It was HOT AS HELL outside and everybody looked great as they dressed in character. In their own way, these actors taught me SO very much.  It was a very humbling experience. (R.I.P. To Kristy Love, the original BLISS PARKER, who is the lady in the black & white outfit behind the guy in the white shirt.)

Here is a photo of our play rehearsal in July, 2014. Again, I get emotional looking at this picture and thinking about that particular time on my “indie film producer” journey.  I was definitely working with some WINNERS! Again, these new people ALSO “shaped” and “molded” me and took me to a whole ‘notha level as a writer/producer! lmbo!

This was the flier I did in August, 2014 to promote the stage play! Shouts out to my daughter for taking most of my photos and doing the videos. I don’t have a multi-million dollar film & TV budget … YET.  (But, it’s coming!!)  But, how do you start from scratch and achieve your dream when you have practically nothing?  Do you let that STOP you … or do you sacrifice and figure out a way? That’s why I never want to forget where I came from!

Wow!!! Here is a cast photo from August, 2014! As I look back on that summer of struggle, I now realize that my cast and I were creating MAGIC! … TIME WILL TELL THAT WE WERE CREATING SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL … and we didn’t even know it!!!! My cast looks very eclectic and interesting.  I am determined that my “work” is NEVER going to be ordinary. I’m laughing as I remember how I was trying to do “BIG” things with a very small budget! (lol!) EVERYONE pulled together and made the project work.  We made it happen! We did it!

Here’s a wonderful photo of me and some of the cast right before these beautiful women were about to take the stage!  (smh. What is going onnnnnnn with my hair!) Whew! The DRESSING ROOM drama my actors had to face was intense!  They KILLED it on stage though! Smooches and shouts out to them!! 

OMG! This is Jovan.  The day before the stage play, he had to REPLACE … and LEARN THE LINES FOR … THE LEADING MALE CHARACTER! OMG! Talk about stress!  Talk about DRAMA! Talk about people looking at me crazy, like, “alright, what the heck are you going to do?!” But, Jovan pulled it off … and did an absolutely awesome job! I am forever grateful to him. Plus, Jovan was funny as heck in the role of “Big Deke!”  

After I did the September 7, 2014 stage play, I felt an INTENSE feeling of “let down.”  Yes, the play was a small success but I felt like, “What do I do next? What’s the next step on my journey? Which way do I go now to get to my ultimate destination of being an indie film producer?” So I decided to do the stage play again and change up some things. I added a new character … ARIELLA! This is Remeisha at her audition for the role of Ariella Robinson! She’s a FIERCE model! LOVE her!

Here I am at rehearsal with the actresses playing Tiara and Nessa Robinson.  The THRILL and the HIGH I get from watching actors bring my characters to life is IMMEASURABLE.  It’s a DRUG, it’s OXYGEN, it’s AIR, it’s NECESSARY, it’s LIFE-GIVING and LIFE-SUSTAINING to me. Ya feel me?  (smile)

Here I am at rehearsal with my cast again. We were rehearsing at Amy’s and Natana’s house so THANK YOU to both of them! My cast was wonderful and pitched in to make things happen. These people watched (and helped) me grow as a producer. Plus they were excited about my work and made me feel like I was giving them GREAT material to work with! (of course they’re SUPPOSED to say that! lol!) They bolstered my confidence!  It is MY honor to have met and worked with them!

And, here we are, taking our BOWS after the December 7, 2014 performance of “How To Stop Your Man From Cheating: ADVICE FROM MY FATHER’S OTHER WOMAN.” The performance wasn’t perfect and my face is STILL frowned up over some things! The DAY OF THE SHOW I had to go onstage and play one of the major characters!  I was on stage READING FROM THE SCRIPT IN MY HANDS! But, do you know what?  The #1 thing is that we pulled it off!  WE GOT IT DONE! 

Lol!  Here are actresses Andrea Kantargis and Patricia Rosario who were outstanding and funny in their roles as “Becky” and “Sister Keke.”  Heavy sigh. AGAIN, LOOKING AT THIS PHOTO MAKES ME EVEN HUNGRIER TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO FILM STATUS! These characters were funny as heck and I want to develop them! Uggggh!!!!!

Wow!!!  And, here’s me and some of the cast right after our December 7, 2014 performance of “How To Stop Your Man From Cheating: ADVICE FROM MY FATHER’S OTHER WOMAN!” OMG, you will NEVER believe the drama that happened on that day!  I will save “what happened” for my upcoming documentary but TRUST … you WILL BE hearing about it! lol! But through it ALL, I learned that I was on the right track and there was no place else on earth I would rather be! I am BURNING with passion and love for what I do … and I found out that I am GREAT at what I do!  I never would have learned this if I hadn’t stepped out on faith to achieve my dream!

Here’s another photo of some of the cast after the December 7, 2014 stage play performance. That stage play ALSO made me even HUNGRIER and IMPATIENT-er (lol. Is that a word?) and HELL BENT on getting my film! I’m impatiently tapping my feet like, okay, I’ve done that (the stage play)!  I’ve accomplished that goal. Now, how do I get to the NEXT level?! lmbo!!!!!! You ever feel IMPATIENT about your life and wonder which step to take next?

So, my next step was to write and produce …

The incredible stage play, “STOP BRINGING YOUR GOOD BOOTY CALLS TO THE FAMILY BREAKFAST TABLE!” … which is also a chapter in my book! This is LaShone Garth who STARRED as “Miss Lady” Robinson.  Girl, if you knew the “messiness” and drama SHE stepped into! lol!  But LaShone did an EXCELLENT, OUTSTANDING and AMAZING job taking over the starring role as “Miss Lady!”

And this is Aniya who co-starred as “Lil’ Lady” Robinson, Miss Lady’s daughter.  Aniya did an OUTSTANDING job!

Here’s the cast of “STOP BRINGING YOUR GOOD BOOTY CALLS TO THE FAMILY BREAKFAST TABLE!” The play was a GREAT story and was a small success.  Not a HUGE success but a teensy success.  But my cast and I got the job done!  Some people don’t even get THAT far! But, again, heavy sigh, completing THAT production made me even HUNGRIER and FRUSTRATED and RESTLESS and ANT-SIER for my feature film! 

Here is a picture of our audience TOTALLY ENGROSSED in the “STOP BRINGING YOUR GOOD BOOTY CALLS TO THE FAMILY BREAKFAST TABLE!” stage play.  If you look really hard, you can see ME over towards the top left (in my favorite red shirt!) WATCHING MY PRODUCTION, laughing LOUDER than the audience!  I LOVE to watch my work!  Again, it is the OXYGEN that keeps me LIVING!

Every time I look at this freakin’ photo from “STOP BRINGING YOUR GOOD BOOTY CALLS TO THE FAMILY BREAKFAST TABLE,” I get, AGAIN, restless and antsy! This was SUCH a powerful, outstanding scene!  I CAN’T WAIT TIL YOU SEE IT!

Here is me and the “STOP BRINGING YOUR GOOD BOOTY CALLS TO THE FAMILY BREAKFAST TABLE” cast about to take our bows! GREAT JOB!!!

So after THAT play was over, I was restless and anxious AGAIN.  I emotionally wrestled with myself because that play didn’t take me to where I wanted to be … a film producer. I kept asking myself, “What’s the NEXT step on my journey to becoming a filmmaker?” 

****So … I sat down and WROTE … TWO NEW stage plays!  

“How To Love A Damaged Man” and “How Did We Go From A Potential Relationship To You Only Calling Me For Sex?” (which is also based off a chapter in my book!)

The storyline for “How To Love A Damaged Man” was OUTSTANDING.  The stage play starred Fabian Latrone as “Phillip Robinson” and Jamelia Potter as “Vy Robinson” … two AMAZING actors I have worked with before!