CAST OF CHARACTERS 

JONQUIL.  40, woman, African-American, Maxine’s daughter. Bohemian in nature. Beautiful. Wry. Sarcastic. Snarky. She is a non-conformist, anti-groupthink, Afrocentric. The type to own a holistic health shop or marijuana dispensary. Spiritual, but not religious. 

MAXINE.  58, woman, African-American, Jonquil’s mother. Also beautiful, looks like she could be Jonquil’s sister. Theatrical. She is a newly devout, newly saved Christian. It is important to resist the temptation to portray Maxine as a matronly “church lady,” as she was a young mother who is still shedding her storied past. She was “that girl” back in the day, and it shows. Glimpses of the old, “unsaved” Maxine occasionally make an appearance. 

Note: As mother and daughter, there is a strong, familiar push-and-pull between the two. Almost playful. Frenemies? They almost know each other too well, test each other’s boundaries, push each other’s buttons. They often invade each other’s personal space. A constant dance. A taut choreography from start to finish. They deeply annoy each other more often than they incite each other to real anger, but the latter does happen where indicated. This is the next chapter of an issue they’ve been avoiding for some time.  

*Prop Bibles only. Don’t want to attract any bad energy.

SETTING
Washington, D.C., Jonquil’s apartment. Compact. Bohemian. Not dirty, but a tad messy. All rooms overlap/are in view. The living room blends into the kitchen, which blends into the dining room, etc. Somewhere, a full-length mirror. Evidence of Afrocentrism. Black art. Feminism. Books. 

READ PLAY

Brandy Victoria is a playwright centering Black women in stories of self-discovery, resistance, and transformation. Her work has been produced at Obsidian Theatre Festival of Detroit, Barter Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Company, and more. A 2023 Hurston/Wright Foundation Fellow and Temple University graduate, she uses humor and emotional honesty to amplify queer, neurodivergent, and working-class Black women's voices. She also worked as a theatre critic, contributing reviews to DC Theatre Scene and Maryland Theatre Guide.


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