Sonny’s Song
The final kind of play we have in the pipeline is a script that was recommended to us. This kind of project lies somewhere between a revival (like the Exonerated) and a brand new work done from the ground up (like the musical we’re collaborating on with Masta Ace). These kinds of plays will be the bulk of the work we expect to be doing.
A playwright will get an inspiration. They don’t go to a company and say, “I have this idea, please help me write it.” They will just sit down and write the play themselves.
Writing a play is only the first step. Unless a playwright is wealthy or knows someone who is, they will have to connect with a producer. They will come to us and say, “Help me produce my play.”
This is what happened with the play Sonny’s Song, written by Germono Toussaint. The play was referred to us by a friend of Rhymes Over Beats who thought it was the kind of play we should be doing. We read it and agreed with him.
Our first step with this kind of script is to produce a series of progressively-sophisticated readings leading, hopefully, to a production.
So we welcome Germono Toussaint to our RAP ensemble!
Meet the Playwright: Germono Toussaint
Germono Toussaint is one of our first RAP (Resident Artist Program) artists. I put together some questions for Germono by way of introduction.
ROB: What is your background as a writer? Where are you from?
GT: I was born and raised in the inner city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The response I get when I tell people this is usually, “There are black people in Wisconsin?” Yes, there are many, and most of us live in Milwaukee.
Growing up I was an avid daydreamer, which didn’t help with my studies. My free time was spent writing music, playing DJ, making up skits, etc. I also come from a very musical family, so I eventually got my BFA in Music Composition. I started writing short plays as an undergrad, but I didn’t take writing seriously until my last year of college. In my final year, I wrote a musical called Caged, which was based on interviews I conducted with 13 women in a transitional living facility. It changed my life. I knew then writing was what I wanted to do.
ROB: What things do you like to write about?
GT: I like to write about many things, but I’ve been paying more attention lately to the themes that show up consistently in my writing. If I’m being honest, writing has been a way for me to explore who I am. Many of my characters are trying to discover the reason they were put on this earth, and to overcome the obstacles that may get in the way of that discovery. They are pressured into expanding, into considering who they have been, reassessing who they are, and challenging their beliefs and boundaries.
I also see themes of spirituality and sexuality in many of my plays. This is not surprising considering my upbringing. I am a black, same-gender-loving, ex-ordained minister who was raised in a contradictory and confusing world of brown liquor, basement parties, and the black church. I have a lot to pull from.
ROB: What is your favorite thing, quote, or book about theater? Why is it your favorite?
GT: I wish I could remember which book I got this from, but it goes something like this: “The stage acts as a mirror, allowing us to see ourselves, making us self-conscious, or mindful of who we are.” This quote sums up what I have felt about theater since seeing my first production.
ROB: Why do you write for theater?
GT: The reason I write for theater is because it moves us. The reason we are moved by the theater is because it allows us to see a person, story or situation we can identify and empathize with. It causes us to see life from an unfamiliar perspective. The stage is a classroom, a ritual space, a group therapy session, and a church service all at once. It is a sacred space that stretches, teaches and opens us. I’m privileged to be able to be watered by and grow in such a space.
What’s in our Pipeline?
Thank you, Germono, for your candor and for being a part of the Rhymes Over Beats Resident Artist Program (RAP) with Sonny’s Song.
Stay tuned for more news as we go along on The Exonerated, Masta Ace, Germono Toussaint and Sonny’s Song.
Comments? Talk to us below.