Blackberry Molasses

by Jovial Smith

Overview

The play "Blackberry Molasses" is an inspirational story about a young African American woman, Desera Harrison, who finds her voice through her writing. She struggles to find peace in her turbulent life. She begins building a life for herself in Atlanta, where she lives with her mother and fourteen- year-old twin sisters, Ebony and Traci. She's also just reconnected with her alcoholic father, which has introduced a whole new level of uncertainty for the family.

This is a remarkable play. The main character Desera Harrison decides to leave her past behind and peruse her dreams, to become a freelance writer for one of the largest newspaper publications in New York. Despite the many disappointments and heartaches that Desera and her family have endured they find strength through love, hope, and faith. This play explores themes of family, loyalty, and perseverance in the face of adversity and is written to encourage and inspire readers to pursue their dreams.

From the beginning of "Blackberry Molasses" to the Epilogue one will see the significance of strength and perseverance illustrated through Maple and Blackberry Trees. Desera finds strength and perseverance through her writing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469781488
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/01/2012
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)

Read an Excerpt

BLACKBERRY MOLASSES

A play in five parts

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By Jovial Smith

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Jovial Smith
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4697-8148-8

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Chapter One

AT RISE: ACT ONE SCENE ONE Front Yard Summer 2007.

(Somewhere in Atlanta Georgia in the front yard of their light brown two storied house. Desera and her two younger twin sisters Traci and Ebony are lying on their Grandmother's multicolored quilt.)

(The sun is shining down on Desera, Traci, and Ebony. The calm breeze gently passes through the green grass and then sweeps through each of the girl's hair.)

(Desera glances over at Traci and Ebony and smiles.)

DESERA Traci and Ebony, what are you two doing?

TRACI Enjoying the fresh air. Looking at all of the beautiful trees.

EBONY Oh, I am looking up at the Maple and Blackberry trees. Wow, they are tall and shinning.

(As they are lying on their Grandmother's quilt, they are captivated by the beautiful scenery.)

DESERA The sound of the cool wind is like a sweet melody in our ears. The tall Maple and Blackberry tress surrounding us, give off a very sweet fragrance.

(Desera rolls over on her left side and glances at Ebony and Traci.)

EBONY Hey Desera, you see the tall Berry tree straight ahead.

DESERA (Lifts her head.) Yes, I see.

EBONY I wonder how long did it take this Berry tree to grow?

DESERA I don't know sweetie.

(As Desera lies on her back.)

DESERA I notice that all the tress have a glow that catches all our eyes.

(Traci and Ebony burst out in laughter.)

DESERA I am completely taken away by the trees because they all possess strength and perseverance.

(Desera daydreams about how her mom, Traci, Ebony, and she have come a long way. She looks over at her sisters and kisses their foreheads.)

DESERA Hey Traci and Ebony, what do ya'll like about the trees?

(Traci rolls over and hugs Desera.)

TRACI I like the colors and the smell. The trees remind me of Grandma's pancakes with warm maple syrup.

EBONY They remind me of Grandma Jada's Blackberry ice tea.

DESERA Well, these trees remind me of Grandma's sweet Blackberry pie and her warm Maple biscuits.

TRACI Yeah, I miss her smile.

EBONY I really miss her laughter and her jokes.

DESERA I think that Grandma Jada is looking down on us from heaven and smiling.

TRACI I think grandma is watching over us and will always be with us.

ACT ONE SCENE TWO A living room

(Janelle and her family are sitting on a three piece teal sectional, with a large black rectangular ottoman. There are high white voltage ceilings with a black and silver glassed fireplace.)

(Janelle reaches for her cup of Hazel Nut coffee and takes a sip. She sits her cup of coffee down on the dark oat coffee table. Then she glances at Desera.)

JANELLE Hey Desera, what are you thinking about so hard? Would you like a cup of Hazel Nut coffee?

(Desera shrugs her shoulders, and sways her multi-colored notebook from left to right and sighs.)

DESERA I am just thinking about my life and my future.

(Desera plops herself next to Janelle and leans her head on Janelle's right shoulder.)

DESERA Mom, I just feel like I'm coming to a crossroad in my life. (She sighs.)

DESERA I mean, I'm twenty-seven years old and I have no clue as to what I want to do with my life. It's like I have so many things that I want to accomplish, but deep inside I feel empty. I'm missing something in my life.

(She glances up at Janelle and smiles.)

DESERA

I have so many things that are bottled up inside. My mind is constantly racing and all I can do is pick up my pen and write.

(Janelle kisses Desera's forehead.)

JANELLE Well, sweetie, you're a young beautiful and intelligent woman. You can do anything that you put your mind to.

(Janelle squeezes Desera. Then she glances over at Ebony.)

JANELLE Hey Ebony, is everything ok? You're too quiet and you're not joking around like you usually do. It's not like you not to talk.

(Ebony is in an Indian style position holding a white and pink composition book. As she glances out the large oval window, she writes about the beautiful scenery in the backyard.)

EBONY I was just wondering if through my hazel eyes I can see things in different colors. I decided to write about the beautiful scenery in the backyard as I see it.

(Ebony smiles. Her eyes make contact with Janelle. She sighs.)

EBONY I'm good, I'm just thinking about what I want to say. Suddenly I feel the words flowing like rain.

(As she presses her yellow and black happy face pen onto the white page, the words begin to flow out like rain.)

(Janelle comes over and sits next to Traci.)

JANELLE Hey sweetie, how are you doing? What are you painting?

(Traci glances up at Janelle and smiles.)

TRACI

I'm fine. I'm just painting trees and the lake in the backyard. Mom do you think that someday I'll be a great artist?

JANELLE Of course, you'll be an excellent artist. You should follow your heart and pursue your dreams.

(Traci hugs Janelle. Then Desera and Ebony shuffles over to the couch and puts her arms around the both of them.)

ACT ONE SCENE THREE Desera's Bedroom.

(The room is large with pink walls. Desera's large light oak queen canopy bed is decorated with a pink and black striped comforter. There are two large white trimmed rectangular windows.)

(As Desera lies on her back on her soft bed, the sun peaks through the white trimmed rectangular window onto Desera's cinnamon brown face. Her reflection in the window reveals her beauty. Desera turns over onto her right side and turns her silver and black radio on. She rolls onto her back, grabs her pink ball point pen, and begins writing.)

(The DJ Styles speaks in a low brass tone.)

DJ STYLES Hey ATL this is DJ Styles, ATL finest, and you're listening to Flavor 450, the station that always play all of your favorite Hip-Hop and R&B songs every day.

DJ STYLES Okay, the first caller is on the line. DJ Styles pauses, and then proceeds. Okay caller number one, you're on the air.

CALLER #1 Yes, my name is Tameka and I would like for you to play "Blackberry Molasses" by Mista.

DJ STYLES Alright Tameka, I'll get your request in. Now tell the people of Atlanta, what your favorite station is.

CALLER #1 Flavor 450.

The song begins.

DESERA As I begin to write, my thoughts begin pouring out like rain showers. The words on the paper illustrate my deep passion for my gift of writing. My racing thoughts make the pink pen sound as if a violinist is performing at the Julliard School of Arts.

The song continues.

DESERA I begin pouring out my feelings onto the white page as though I'm painting a picture of a violent storm that rushes through a valley filled with various sunflowers.

DESERA I am painting a visual picture of a woman that has kept her true feelings bottled up. This strong woman is finally free to pour out her feelings that have been lying dormant inside of her heart.

The song ends.

DESERA How I know, you may wonder. I know because I am that woman. My pain within my broken soul is deep like a bloody gnash that a little child receives after falling off of his or her bike.

(Desera sighs and continues.)

DESERA You see my friends; I mourn as a way of coping with situations that I have had to endure in the past. Unforgettable situations in my life have left me, feeling lonely, afraid, confused, and angry. My tears of sorrow are only for a season. I know that someday I will laugh again and change people's lives.

ACT ONE SCENE FOUR Julie's front patio.

(There are Blackberry trees surrounding her light sandy brown square stone patio. Following a yellow and a blue patio set. The grass is emerald green and filled with sunflowers.)

(Julie and Desera are sitting on two yellow and blue lounge chairs that are faced across from each other, sipping on sweet lemonade.)

DESERA The swift wind causes the various Japanese maple trees such as Butterfly, Crimson Queen, and Sherwood Flame leaves to fall like light rain showers on a sunny day.

(Desera reaches over on her right side and grabs her notebook. As Desera slowly opens her notebook, she discovers Maple leaves in the center of it.)

(Julie lies on her yellow and blue lounge chair. As she sips on her freshly squeezed lemonade, she glances over at Desera and smiles.)

JULIE So girl, how have you been?

(Desera glances up at Julie and smiles.)

DESERA I'm good. I've been writing a lot. Trying to figure out what I want to do as far as having a job, my own place, and etc.

JULIE Wow, that's awesome.

DESERA Yeah, it is.

JULIE You should send your story to "The New York Star."

(Julie shuffles into the house, grabs her lap top and glides back to her lounge chair. As she sits in an Indian style position, Desera grabs her notebook and sits by Julie.)

(Desera verbally tells Julie her story. As Julie and Desera finishes up, Desera hugs her.)

DESERA Well, enough about me. How are things going with you?

JULIE Things are good. I've been working at the "Epiphany Café."

DESERA Sweet! Do you like working at "Epiphany's."

JULIE Yes. It has a nice atmosphere to it.

DESERA Congratulations girl! It appears that you're doing well for yourself.

JULIE Thanks girl! You should come by. We can eat and chat.

DESERA Okay, I will. I better get going and see if my mom needs anything before I head home. Thanks for everything.

(Desera hugs Julie and her phones rings. Desera glances at her phone and sees that it's Janelle.)

DESERA Oh ... its my mom, Janelle calling.

ACT ONE SCENE FIVE Melanie's office.

(The large rectangular office with high windows captures the beautiful city of New York. The navy blue and white stripped wall brings color and liveliness to the room. Followed by a dark brown three-piece office set that is covered with large stacks of papers.)

(Melanie is sitting at her large rectangular desk sipping on her Hazel nut coffee. As she glances down, she notices a message on her laptop. Melanie opens her e-mail and begins reading.)

MELANIE To Whom It May Concern: Life is a choice and a privilege that we as individuals have.

(As Melanie ponders on the first sentence. She raises her left eyebrow and continues reading.)

MELANIE It is something that we must not take for granted. My words on the page are beginning to flow like a water fall ... they are coming so fast almost like title waves in an ocean.

MELANIE It's a special gift that God has granted us and we should make the most of it while we're on this earth.

(Melanie's eyes are captured by the words on the screen, and she can hear Desera's voice.)

MELANIE Life is a journey in which we find ourselves on various emotional roller-coasters.

(Melanie sips her Hazel Nut coffee, then continues reading.)

MELANIE

Soul searching and growing pains are just a taste of the many trails and tests that we endure as human beings.

(Melanie ponders and then continues.)

MELANIE No matter what challenges that we may face throughout our lives, we can make it through.

(Melanie sips her Hazel Nut coffee.)

MELANIE

Take my life as example; I'm a 27 year old African American woman who has endured the sharp pains of physical abuse.

(Melanie twirls her pen.)

MELANIE Shedding many tears of sorrow and pain from my father's large cinnamon brown rough hands that left my left eye black and blue.

(Melanie scrolls down and continues reading.)

MELANIE I can remember as a little girl comforting my younger twin sisters Ebony and Traci as we watched our parents fight like Ike and Tina Turner.

(Melanie nods her head.)

MELANIE You see, I wrote this letter not because I'm looking for sympathy, but to encourage people in similar situations that, there's always hope. As long as there is breath in their body, he or she will have many opportunities for situations in their life to change.

ACT ONE SCENE SIX Brandon's restaurant "Eddie Lee's Soul food."

(It's somewhere in downtown Atlanta Georgia. There's a large cursive red sign that says, "Welcome to Eddie Lee's Soul food." Inside the red champagne café' there are round glass tables.)

(As Desera waits to be seated, she notices ...)

DESERA Oh, what a wonderful tribute to all of the famous Jazz musicians Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Sarah Vaughan, and Nat King Cole. I do believe you have on display more than 100 pictures Jazz artist!!!

(The host takes Desera to her table.)

(Desera glances around the restaurant and is fascinated with the pictures of various Jazz Musicians.)

(As Desera admires the famous artists, Brandon slowly comes up to the table.)

BRANDON Hello, can I start you out with an appetizer, Ma'am?

(Desera sighs.)

DESERA What do you recommend? (Desera glances up and smiles.)

DESERA Hey Brandon, how are you? I really like your Uncle Eddie's restaurant.

BRANDON I'm good. My Uncle Eddie and I have been doing well. We have been bringing in a lot of business since we started serving homemade Blackberry pie and our special breakfast "Chicken and Waffles" which are served with sweet Molasses.

DESERA Well, I think I'll have the "Chicken and Waffles" special please.

BRANDON Aright. So how have you been?

DESERA I've been good. I have been writing a lot about myself. I'm trying to figure out my life as far as career wise and etc. I sent an email to the Editor of "The New York Star" inquiring about being a Journal Analyst.

BRANDON That's wonderful Desera. When do you think you'll hear back from the Editor?

DESERA Hopefully soon.

(Brandon smiles at Desera.)

(Desera take a sip of her sweet tea, while Brandon gets her food.)

(Brandon returns with Desera's order.)

BRANDON I'm sure you'll get the Journal Analyst job.

DESERA Thanks, I'm sure you and your Uncle Eddie will continue to have a successful business at this fine restaurant.

BRANDON Thanks.

(Brandon hugs Desera. Then Desera's phone rings.)

ACT ONE SCENE SEVEN Stefanie's Apartment.

(Stefanie and Desera are sitting on Stefanie's leopard couch. Desera glances up at her laptop and notices an email message from the CEO of "The New York Star.")

DESERA Oh ... I have an email from Melanie Williams the CEO of "The New York Star."

(Before Desera attempt to open the e-mail,she pauses and smiles at Stefanie.)

(Stefanie sighs.)

STEFANIE

What?

DESERA

Well, I wrote to an anonymous person at "The New York Star."

STEFANIE Wow! Really? What position did you ask for?

DESERA Journal Analyst.

STEFANIE Well, maybe you should check your e-mail.

(Desera's bites her bottom lip.)

(Then she pauses for a moment as if she's in deep thought.)

(Stefanie reaches across Desera and clicks on the e-mail that reads Melanie Williams.)

(Desera's palms are sweaty. She glances at Stefanie and smiles. Then Desera become excited and begins reading.)

Desera Its an email from Melanie Williams!!!

Desera (read out loud)

Dear Desera Harrison,

Hello, my name is Melanie Williams and I'm a representative/ CEO of "The New York Star." I was really moved by your letter because I could hear the pain and passion in your voice. Reading your story has really opened my eyes to life and the struggles which people endure in their lives. The story is not only about you, it's about many women like yourself. The strong voice in your letter represents many women who have experienced or are currently in abusive situations. Your passion in your writing reveals your strengths, weaknesses, storms, and victories, in which at one point or another everyone has gone through. Your voice is strong. You paint pictures of your storming past. You uplift and encourage us with your defining moment, where you decide to keep pursuing your dreams, despite your past which has made you stronger. Your voice represents women who are victims of domestic violence. Your positive outlook on life reveals your confidence and determination to make it despite life's adversities. This mention of you being abuse is lively and will touch the hearts of women. You being a strong woman that protects your love ones from harm really captured my attention because it shows your strength, perseverance, and ability to lead. Ms. Desera Harrison your letter has not only touched my heart, but has proven that you have what it takes to become a full-time Journal Analyst. Sincerely, Melanie Williams.

(Desera and Stefanie scream, and jump up and down.)

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from BLACKBERRY MOLASSES by Jovial Smith Copyright © 2012 by Jovial Smith. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Preface....................ix
Introduction....................xi
Cast of Characters....................xiii
Setting....................xvii
ACT ONE SCENE ONE Front Yard Summer 2007....................3
ACT ONE SCENE TWO A living room....................7
ACT ONE SCENE THREE Desera's Bedroom....................11
ACT ONE SCENE FOUR Julie's front patio....................15
ACT ONE SCENE FIVE Melanie's office....................19
ACT ONE SCENE SIX Brandon's restaurant "Eddie Lee's Soul food"....................23
ACT ONE SCENE SEVEN Stefanie's Apartment....................27
ACT ONE SCENE EIGHT Ebony and Traci's Bedroom....................31
ACT TWO SCENE ONE Desera's office July 2008-Summer....................35
ACT TWO SCENE TWO Janelle's beauty shop "New Beginnings"....................39
ACT TWO SCENE THREE "The Olympia Café....................43
ACT TWO SCENE FOUR Janelle's Apartment....................47
ACT TWO SCENE FIVE Desera's apartment....................51
ACT TWO SCENE SIX: Desera's apartment "The Olympia Café'."....................55
ACT TWO SCENE SEVEN (Professional Performing Arts School)....................61
ACT THREE SCENE ONE(Annual Christmas Party. December 2008)....................65
ACT THREE SCENE TWO "The New York Star" Headquarters January 2009....................69
ACT THREE SCENE THREE "The restaurant "Epiphany's"....................71
ACT THREE SCENE FOUR Janelle's apartment Mid January 2009....................75
ACT THREE SCENE FIVE The "New York Star"....................79
ACT THREE SCENE SIX Central Park April 2009....................83
ACT THREE SCENE SEVEN Janelle's patio May 2009....................87
ACT FOUR SCENE ONE Derek's apartment....................91
ACT FOUR SCENE TWO Anthony's Visit April 2010....................95
ACT FOUR SCENE THREE The Restaurant "Epiphany's" May 2010....................99
ACT FOUR SCENE FOUR Janelle's wedding Summer 2010....................103
ACT FOUR SCENE FIVE Derek's and Desera's engagement party Fall 2010....................109
ACT FIVE SCENE ONE "The New York Star" Headquarters."....................113
About the Author....................117