Paul Oakley Stovall. Photo Credit: Marc J. Franklin
Tony winner Paul Oakley Stovall spoke about writing his play “Immediate Family,” which was directed by Phylicia Rashad.
On his inspiration to write “Immediate Family,” he said, “I was in a theater company in Chicago and every company member was being asked to present a piece that they were writing that was meaningful to them.
He continued, “They skipped over me because I was a performer… and I sort of protested and I asked them ‘don’t I get to present my work?’ and they said ‘of course you do.’ I didn’t have any work so I felt left out.”
“So, I talked my way into making myself write it, and I wrote about what I knew, so I just talked myself into it and here we are,” he noted.
Working with Phylicia Rashad
On working with Phylicia Rashad as director, Stovall said, “It’s an education. We’ve been working together for many years now, so it’s just a collaborative friendship now, and it has been really wonderful.”
“Phylicia is my director and we were working on trying to put on a good play together. She is very precise with what she wants but at the same time, she allows you to have fun,” he added.
Lessons learned from this show
On the lessons learned from this play, he said, “This show has taught me that blind excellence is not an accident; it’s an effort.”
For fans and viewers, the playwright expressed, “I want the audience to see themselves in every character, and challenge themselves to be the best that they can be. I want them to know that they will have good days and bad days.”
To learn more about Tony winner Paul Oakley Stovall, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on “Immediate Family,” visit its official website.
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