UNRAVELING THE LAYERS:

The Many Talents and Passions of a Multifaceted Female Writer Robyn L. Rease

Robyn believes in art as healing

Originally from Pensacola, FL, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and African American Studies from Mercer University (Macon, GA) and studied Creative Writing at Northeastern University. (Boston, MA). She is the founder and artistic director of Stage Praise Productions – a theatre, film, and television company whose mission is to change the face of entertainment – and the world – one story at a time! Robyn is a prolific poet, playwright, short story, and screenwriter. She has written countless collections of poetry In 2004, she recorded a CD of poetry set to original jazz with her friend, GW Russell Jr , entitled The Pianist and the Poet Robyn has written over a hundred skits and full-length plays and directed and staged nearly forty of them at different churches and venues along the east coast Popular titles include Show Me The Glory, Moving Day, Moving Further Still, Scrambled Eggs, Empty Kitchen Chairs-The Stage Play, Forcin’ It, and Hoopin’ – to name a few

Robyn was the director of a church theatre company for more than twelve years In 2007, she developed Empty Kitchen Chairs for the screen and shot the trailer for the feature-length film along with Centurion Filmworks and her business partner, Calvin Lindsay. Her video of the stage play Beyond Grace (formerly Show Me The Glory) was acquired and nationally distributed by Maverick Entertainment and can be found on Tubi, IMBd, and Amazon Prime Video She is also a published author as a contributor to an anthology titled The Apple of His Eyes, published in 2022

Robyn is a profound teacher of the Word, a lively exhorter, an empathetic counselor, and a spiritual leader, and is powerfully used in the inner healing ministry She has authored several manuals for Christian ministry, including a study of David, the writing of the Psalms, and many on leadership development Additionally, she has worked in youth ministry and is passionate about ministry to teenage girls. She mentors several young women who all affectionately call her “Auntie Robyn.” Robyn empowers black women and looks to give them opportunities to work alongside her in business and ministry

Robyn is a former middle school administrator and works at a community college as the Director of Education in Raleigh, NC Recently, she started her own writing business, PENsive Professional & Creative Writing Services, where she writes both technically and creatively She is ghostwriting two books, editing two books, and coaching women writers For the first time, in March 2022, Robyn hosted The Writers Block – a three-day biannual retreat and writer’s room where seven African American women will collaborate on a writing project for television She looks forward to hosting The Writers Block 2024 in Richmond, VA, in April 2024. Robyn is single for now and lives in Durham, NC

When did your journey in the industry start?

I wrote and produced my first play at Mercer University in 1989 It was titled “Things Are Gonna Get Better ” It had thirty main characters and about 15 supporting characters; nothing ever got better! It lasted about 3 hours, and I’m not sure if there was a plot or a real ending. But… it underscored my gift for writing plays and my life as a playwright and director began I moved to Boston and joined a large ministry there – and soon after, I was writing and staging plays several times a year In 2012, I joined a writer’s conference, Urban Playwright’s United. Collaborating with other playwrights and exposing my work to others who did the same thing I did changed how I saw myself as a writer

How many projects have you done?

I’ve written over one hundred skits and full-length plays. I’ve directed and produced nearly half of them. So many titles: The Resurrection of Generation X, The Widow’s Seat, The Multiplication Circle, Hoopin’, Forcin’ It, PressuRised to name just a few I adapted one of my stage plays, Empty Kitchen Chairs, into a screenplay and filmed a trailer for it Maverick Entertainment acquired the stage play Beyond Grace (originally titled Show Me The Glory). It can be purchased on Amazon and viewed on TubiTv With my dear friend and jazz pianist, George W Russell, Jr , I recorded original poetry set to original jazz in a CD titled The Pianist and the Poet I wrote and staged Moving Day and Moving Further Still for a women’s conference two years in a row This show told the story of the lives of three women, each of them managing either addiction, physical and sexual abuse, and abandonment

I am also an academic and technical writer and a professional editor. In 2021, I started PenSive Professional and Creative Writing Services I support college and graduate students with academic writing and editing, have written several instructional manuals for ministry and Christian education needs, and am in the process of ghostwriting two books for clients that have trusted me with their personal stories. In 2022, I contributed to a published anthology, The Apple of His Eyes

What inspired your passion for writing?

I’ve always loved words I talked very early, and because I talked so much, my mom put a pen in my hand, gave me a notebook, and told me to write

As a girl, my mom exposed me to the most prolific writers, journalists, and educational/motivational speakers of the time I was Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls when I was around 9 years old I remember being overwhelmed and speechless to the point of tears I heard the lectures of Tony Brown and Bernie Casey around the same age. My mom took me to hear Sonia Sanchez read her poetry, and later, I shook hands with Maya Angelou after a talk she gave at the University of West Florida in Pensacola Hearing Phenomenal Woman performed by the one who wrote it left me longing to use the power of words in a way that would make others feel the way Dr. Angelou made me feel: invincible I was exposed to the penning of James Baldwin Hearing him read excerpts from Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone affected me deeply, and the words of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man shook me at my core It was then that I wanted to be significant because of my pen.

How would you describe your writing style?

My writing style is poetic The first thing I ever wrote was poetry So, I have a bend toward rhythmic patterns and prose It is conversational, easy to connect with, and relaxing to the reader It is also thought-provoking and inspirational. I love pretty writing – words that ebb and flow I keep the language simple Too many large words hooked together usually don’t tell a great story I create complex, compelling characters whose dialog is either southern or partly British in its vernacular

My love of southern people and British etiquette often shows in my writing. Combining the two makes for magical, original characters and an unexpected vernacular in which they speak There’s always something rewarding about a “shall” or “forthwith” and a conjunction not necessarily followed up by a standard part of speech inserted in common conversation. The British do that well – and so do southern women when they are intent on being proper Such fun for me as a writer! In a world where there is so much unsolicited criticism and judgment, I always try to leave the reader or whatever my audience is with a smile on their faces, even if they cry a little before they get to smile. I believe that no matter what we say, God has the final say! I try to follow that pattern in my writing style

What is next for you as a writer?

Next for me as a writer is to grow The Writers Block and mentor women as writers as wide and as far as I can reach them. I want to finish my television series and begin production for that

I have a devotional series that I am writing, and the next phase of those is to complete and publish them I would love to get back to the stage –writing and directing for the stage. That is a joy of mine that I never intend to fully let go. With streaming and being able to watch whatever one wants on your phone, I still believe there is no greater entertainment than watching life on a live stage! I am a writer, so I want to spend the next few years understanding what that fully means –discovering more of me as I hear God’s voice and creating characters that speak to the world through me

How would you describe in your eyes A “Pretty Woman Who Hustles”?

A pretty woman who hustles is a woman who works extremely hard but does so with elegance and grace. She allows her efforts to speak for themselves She never looks like she works as hard as she does, and she finds it vulgar to brag about how much she actually does She is wellassembled and well-spoken whenever she leaves the house, be it to the grocery store or a business meeting. She doesn’t split verbs or dangle participles Only her true girlfriends get to see that Bad moods are not allowed She never admits to fatigue or defeat When fatigued and feeling defeated, she retreats to a quiet place of rest and prayer and admits that only to her Heavenly Father. She communes with Him and returns to her tasks refreshed and rejuvenated. The operative word here is pretty But the pretty that she is on the inside informs the pretty on the outside This distinguishes the pretty hustler from the woman who just sweats hard

Any tips for those who have the desire to follow in your footsteps?

Yes Save your money and manage it well! Writing requires freedom Being tied to a 9 to 5 doesn’t always give you the freedom to be creative or the time you need to devote to the craft The best way to maximize creativity is to have money that works so you don’t have to! I made some mistakes in this area, but I am not discouraged because nothing is impossible with God! So, I’m writing my way to financial freedom and hustling to do whatever needs to be done for where I am right now! To those who do not have money that works for you right now, keep writing!!! Do not stop! Write during your lunchtime, at the red light on your way to work, and at the red light on your way home from work Write for a few minutes in the parking lot of the grocery store before you head home to put the food away Take the kids to the park, let them play while you find a bench, and write while you watch them.

Put the mac and cheese in the oven, and while you’re waiting for the cornbread to rise, write!!! Keep a notebook and a pen with you at all times! For a writer, a notebook is like your driver’s license – you never leave home without it. It’s a part of your identity It distinguishes you from everyone else around you! Write all the time, anytime, anywhere, about anything! Just write

How do we access your new book and or any of your projects? And how can others support you and your business endeavors?

I am a contributor to an anthology by Black women titled The Apple of His Eyes That book and the poetry CD, The Pianist and The Poet can be purchased by contacting me via email: thedirectorspp@gmail com I am also looking for 35 Black women who have a project that they would like to have developed by professional writers in a writing room or that might like to be writers in a professional writing room to register for The Writers Block 2024 in April ‘24 Project submissions open June 2023, and the writer’s retreat registration opens July 2023! For more information, you’ll be able to go to www.thewritersblock.com.

What obstacles have you had to overcome to get where you are today?

Tears flow whenever I am asked to talk about the obstacles I have had to overcome to be the me I am still becoming. There are some tears of sadness, some tears of heartache. But mostly, there are tears of victory I spent most of my childhood feeling rejected and managing the effects of poverty because of being raised by a single mother who had no support from my father My mom is my anchor Without that lady, I would have given up long ago. I grew up face-to-face with my father’s rejection and disdain for me because of issues he managed within himself He has my forgiveness But girls get their confidence and self-esteem from their fathers – and therefore, I have fought the feeling of “being enough” my entire life Then, in young adulthood, I gave my life to Christ, and I wanted so much to be married and have children but lived the majority of my adult life in singleness, with the looming background question, “What is wrong with me?” After finally finding love and marriage in my late 40s, I faced the demise of that relationship within the first two years of the marriage, leaving me to return again to that taunting background question. It’s been the one constant that has brought me success, joy, strength, and stability Creation is groaning in eager expectation of ME, and I can’t wait to see what He does with me next!