The world premier of a new play called “No Mama, No Cry” is coming to a stage in Langley for two days this weekend.
Dark Glass Theatre, under the artistic direction of Langley’s Angela Konrad, will debut at the Bez Arts Hub on Friday and Saturday.
“Black mamas are fierce mamas, right?” said Konrad, quick to explain that this question is at the heart of Shayna Jones’ exploration into her own lineage.
Jones was born in Chicago, but grew up in Vancouver under the protective and nurturing wing of her father.
“How she got there is a fascinating journey of exploded myths and expanded hearts,” Konrad said.
“Growing up, my father always told me ‘Black families are strongly matriarchal’,” Jones shared.
“His mother, Ollie Ree, was a strong and faithful woman; his grandmother, ‘Big Mama,’ was an overwhelming force of grit and tenacity… he learned how to raise me from them.”
Jones has been closely involved with Dark Glass Theatre since its early days.
An associate artist with the company, she won a Jessie Award for her portrayal of Salima in the Dark Glass production of “Lynn Nottage’s Ruined.”
Konrad describes Jones as “a big part of the reason there is a Dark Glass Theatre.”
“She believes in – and creates – the kind of stories we want to tell, and her insight and counsel are invaluable. ‘No Mama, No Cry’ is Shayna Jones at her finest – visceral, compelling, and deeply human,” Konrad said.
This premiere represents many years of development and revisions.
In 2019, Dark Glass commissioned Jones to write a play about her experience growing up without a mother in a matriarchal culture.
That play, “Black Skin Deep,” was slated for production with a Vancouver theatre in 2020, but then the pandemic hit.
After receiving a staged reading in 2022, Shayna made massive rewrites to the script, transforming it into “No Mama, No Cry,” which Konrad said is now ready for its first audiences.
After taking some time to refocus and restructure, this year is the first for Dark Glass Theatre since the COVID shutdown.
“When we relaunched, we wanted to really lean into our tagline ‘See face to face’ to create intimate shows, in intimate spaces,” Konrad elaborated.
“For our first play presentation, we knew that Shayna’s particular artistry would be perfect,” Konrad said.
“I am excited that this play is finally going to be witnessed,” Jones shared. “Stories are meant to be heard and I can’t wait to share ‘No Mama, No Cry’ with others.”
Several performances of “No Mama, No Cry” were held in living rooms around the Lower Mainland leading up to this weekend’s debut. Now, it’s been show to the masses at Bez Arts Hub this Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8.
“We love the Bez for its warm and human ambiance,” Konrad interjected. “We also love that the seating can be configured in different ways so we can shape the space to best serve the piece being performed.”
Tickets are $35, and available at www.darkglasstheatre.com.
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