Having featured Shaneisha Dodson in the pages of U.G. Digital multiple times, I felt like I had an idea of what to expect with her touring production, The Coffee Shop, but I must say I was blown away when finally seeing the show for myself. After a cross-country drive, I was ready to see a good show, and I'm happy to say I got so much more.
Photo: Cast, The Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop played in the Houston, Texas area this past weekend, and it was most definitely a night to remember. Set in, well, a coffee shop, and centered around the often untold story of rape, you'll see first hand how the effects can tear a family apart, and how love can ultimately piece it all back together. Of course you get all the laughter and shenanigans that go on in today's coffee shops. The cast absolutely laid out all the stops and guaranteed a good time. The simplicity of the production made it all the better for the audience, who flooded the auditorium with cheers and laughter throughout the show.
📷 Photo credit: Black Girlz Productions
Dodson herself is an up and coming playwright who is strongly forging her way through an industry that can tear you apart if you haven’t done your homework. It takes so much to put on a great production, let alone assembling the appropriate cast of actors and actresses. There's so much more required to make it all work seamlessly. One hiccup can send the entire project into a tailspin and shut it all down. So isn't the case here, though. The show was amazing, and Dodson shows great promise as a playwright.
The Coffee Shop is set to hit Arkansas March 25, 2016. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coffee-shop-stageplay-tickets-27742204681
