Feb 13, 2020
Bea is an established writer, director and producer of theatrical plays and is known in the Chicago theatrical community for providing acting opportunities to people in the community. It’s her way of sharing her gift. She began performing on stage at an early age in church and high school in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan during the onset of the Motown era. Bea began performing with community theater with The Concept East Players. She then moved to Chicago where she continued her theatrical training at Roosevelt University, along with studying sociology and urban studies. At Columbia College in Chicago, she majored in Television/Radio Broadcasting with a minor in Creative Writing. It was there that she earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree while still performing with The Community Workshops throughout Chicago. In this episode, Bea shares what was most exciting about theater versus other forms of media like film and television. She expounds on the books that she has written and ones she is currently working on. There are some common themes that can be found in her writing and theatrical productions, and she describes her writing process and how she determines what she will write about and what that process looks like. Her soon to be staged work “Gravy Train” happens to be her favorite work to date. For you listeners who are budding playwrights, novelists, etc., Bea describes how the community members who are featured in her productions have grown and flourished. She often works collaboratively with other organizations, celebrities and on special projects. Bea is excited about the writing themes that she would like to explore in the future, and encourages African American women age 50+ to never let age or any potential barrier get in the way of dreaming and bringing your dreams to fruition. When she speaks of her age, Bea says, “I’m old enough to do what I want and still young enough to enjoy it.