“Wide Open” was an idea in my head eight years ago. I can’t believe it has been that long. I guess it is true when they say things don’t happen over night. I remember when we debuted at the Wadsworth in 2010 I was a wreck. I sat outside the theater an hour before the show with my friend Sharece and cried like a baby and I mean boo hoo’d snot running down and all. It’s funny because that cry has become somewhat of a tradition. It is like my right of passage to have a breakdown before I hit the stage – I cry before every show.
Yesterday I was packing up some stuff to bring over to the theater and I came across a playbill from the debut show on November 20, 2010 there was a writer/producer note that I wrote in it. There is this one part in particular that stands out to me, it said:
Wide Open was born from a combination of successes and setbacks in my life. At one point I was in a very dark place where I didn’t even recognize myself. I ran to God begging and pleading for him to rescue me from that place and he did.
That is the true essence of “Wide Open”. It is about being rescued from a dark place in your life. The funny thing is that even today “Wide Open” rescues me from dark places, from confusing places, from unhappy places and comfortable places. It is a constant reminder in my life that I still have so much to accomplish. It never lets me stop pushing forward. The reason I love this story so much is because it doesn’t just rescue me. It rescues anyone who allows it too. When you see this show it encourages you to be the best possible you. It is truly a message from God. I promise you God wrote this script because the original script that I wrote was horrible. When I finally surrendered myself and allowed God in to work his magic it became a story of hope, triumph and salvation.
I didn’t do my usual overwhelming PR around the show this time. I pretty much only promoted it online. This time I just wanted it to be about the performance. All the many hats I wear can sometimes take away from the message this time I chose not to do that. I will leave it in Gods hands to send the right people to see this performance. I want to thank all the people who have supported “Wide Open” all the former cast and crew members, all my friends and family and organizations you all have made this an incredible journey. To #teamwideopen (Maurice Clark, Tarishi Shuler, Henry Lewis, Asaad Jackson, Grace Clark) YOU ROCK! I can’t express the amount of love and appreciation that I have for you. Thank you.
Cheers to the next level! If you haven’t already you can still purchase tickets online at www.wideopenstageplay.eventbrite.com .
XOXO
Actor/Author/Mom/Wife 