Playwright Stephanie Berry: keeping culture alive

Stephanie Berry is a dancer, an actress, an English teacher, a community and political activist, and oh yes, an OBIE Award winning playwright. Language is her choreography; when asked she’ll joyfully tell you “words dance for me.”

Make no mistake, with phrases like “Their futures will never catch up with my past” ("The Shaneequa Chronicles") this woman’s words dance complex ballets.

In her world premiere of “The Last Fall” at Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, Stephanie has drawn from the exhaustive compendium of stories she continuously gathers to dance once again through the spirit of human emotion. This is the story of a couple in their 50s for whom a chance shared cab ride unexpectedly leads to love. Her characters are lonely, needy for love, but each fights against the emotions sweeping through them for their own reasons, each to no avail. Love, no matter when in life it comes, will not be denied.

 

Stephanie laughs as she admits she’s shamelessly created Neville, the Trinidadian taxi driver, based upon a beloved ex-boyfriend. Rhea, the urban schoolteacher he falls in love with is of course a bit more complex, a composite of the stories of women she’s met throughout her life. She notes that the older women she speaks to “want to be loved, to be touched and held, but won’t give themselves permission” to do so. She believes our society “has equated love with youth, and older women simply do not see love as an option available to them.”

 

As she moves through the couple’s history her dialogue gives voice to the truths we too often keep hidden in our relationships, asking us to re-examine our own candor.

Stephanie also has an impressive acting resume, appearing in films such as “Finding Forrester”, “Everyday People” and “No Reservations,” and also holds several credits on the various “Law and Order” series. She was also a frequent guest star on “New York Undercover,” playing Diana Parker.

She credits her acting experiences as her biggest influence. Being on the other side of the written word helps her create stories that play out authentically. Watching clips of Stephanie perform, you are struck by her passion for the words she speaks and the meanings behind them.

Dancing with words is not Stephanie’s only pursuit, however. She is also a contributor to Blackberry Productions, a Harlem-based theatre company focused on bringing the arts to folks who might not ordinarily have access. Blackberry Productions offers plays exploring the lives and culture of African Americans, school workshop programs, and professional residencies, to advance both the social and academic experiences of its students.

 

Culture is a big theme for Stephanie, who tries to teach children an innate respect for themselves and honor for their ancestors. “Culture is the spirit of any community – strength of spirit comes from culture. If that lacks, you don’t have a working community. Without it you have nothing”.

 

She experienced that firsthand as one of the many volunteers who flocked to Houston in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, assisting evacuees at the Astrodome and the Shrine of the Black Madonna. Community shows itself most in times of crisis, and three years later she would return to Houston for a starring role in “Katrina: the Bridge” playing Beverly. She drew her inspiration for the character from the stories she gathered from Katrina survivors.

Drawing and giving inspiration in equal measure seems to characterize Stephanie’s life and work. Revealing truths most people feel more comfortable hiding is Stephanie’s forte. She hopes to inspire each of us to invite more honesty into our relationships and our lives through her work both on the stage and behind the pen.

“The Last Fall” is playing at the Crossroads Theatre this month, for your own inspiration and enjoyment. Tickets to “The Last Fall” are on sale now. For information visit www.crossroadstheatrecompany.org or call 732-545-8100.

 

- Lorri Matusiak-Lindsay