“Damn, girl, you can write! ~ Burt Reynolds ~

“Your words, coupled with YOUR distinct passions - whether hot or icy - have and will continue to influence more of us than you know. You must have learned that technique from dear old Dad. He’d be - and is, I’m sure - proud of your choice of words during the conflicts of life. Whether used as the sword or the butter knife, those on the receiving end are just grateful to be within earshot… and still standing!” ~ Brightman Brock (editor/Jupiter Courier/retired)

You are a published author and a playwright. You also run a theater school where you teach writing and acting. How did that come about?

I won my first writing contest in the third grade. That was the catalyst for who I am now… not because I needed the accolades from winning but because that is when I realized that words could change lives. As for the theater, I have had many jobs over the last 50 years. In 2011, I took on the task of running what was then the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theater. When Burt passed away in 2018, I petitioned the state to allow me to reorganize, change the name and our mission statement and continue in operation.

Why did you need to change your mission statement?

When Burt was alive, the Institute mainly focused on him and teaching acting. When I took over, I wanted to focus on individuals. I wanted to help people to live their dreams, not their fears. We have many students who have disabilities that are not obvious to the naked eye. We are a haven in the storm for them… a second home. They learn new skills and gain increased confidence and self-esteem.

What type of books do you write?

Mostly crime novels because both my daughter and I have survived violent crime. My goal is to teach… not preach… ways in which women can stay safe in an ever increasingly dangerous world. I have a crime novel series in which my daughter and her best friend since high school are the focus of attention. Their characters – Cat Leigh & Marci Welles - are homicide detectives in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Cat is my daughter Jessica and Marci is Mary Bedwell Bain, an actual CSI with the PBSO. Mary was instrumental in helping to capture Jessica’s rapist in 2007.

What violent crimes did you and your daughter survive?

My first marriage was a classic study in domestic abuse. It was only through the intervention of family and friends who cared about me that I survived. We do not give women in these situations enough attention. Domestic abuse is a violent crime but the courts do not see it that way. It is the same with rape. I have tried to decades to stop the use of the term “sexual assault” when discussing rape. My daughter’s attacker left her permanently scarred physically, mentally and emotionally. If that is not a violent crime, I do not know what is.

You also write plays. How do you choose your subject matter?

The mission at the Institute is “Education Through Entertainment.” I want our audiences to leave the theater a little bit wiser than when they arrived. I believe that every writer has an obligation to teach something… no matter how small… that will benefit society.

What plays have you written?

There are many but the one that makes me most proud is Intersection of Lincoln and Parks, which is my concept of what could have happened the night Rosa Parks was arrested had the last living relative of Abraham Lincoln been on the bus.

Was there such a person?

There was and he was alive at the time of the arrest. Of course, the play is fiction but it gave me an opportunity to educate people on what life was like in the South before the civil rights movement. Intersection was a great success. It was contracted by the Kravis Center and performed in the Rinker Playhouse.

What other plays have you written?

Shell of a Man. This play was a five year passion project for me. A long time ago, I had my own opinion column both online and in a local publication. I am a huge supporter of our veterans, and I wrote two columns discussing the need for better healthcare for our men and women in uniform. A veteran of the Vietnam War wrote to thank me. We began corresponding and over the years he revealed to me the circumstances of his life. He was black, raised in the Jim Crow south, picked his first bag of cotton at the age of two. I am an educated person. I am not naïve but the things he told me were eye opening. I asked if I could write his story and he gave me permission. We have never actually met. I have never seen his face except in photos and I have never heard his voice except through emails. The play was performed at the Dallas Convention Center among other places. 

Any others you are proud of?

I am proud of them all but Women Wisdom and Wine is a favorite. The play centers around eight women of a certain age who discuss the changes we face in life, love, relationships and sex. The play is a little bit bawdy, a little bit bold and, oh so funny. Another funny one is Soul Searching in which God and Satan are frenemies… business partners like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates only their business is the collection of souls. Then, there is Pluck You! which deals with those pesky hairs that start to grow on our chins when we reach menopause.

What are your plans for the future?

The Institute is in danger of closing. The mall where we are located has been sold and will be demolished. We need to find a new location by the end of the year but possibilities are few and far between. In the meantime, I will keep writing, keep teaching and, hopefully, keep audiences entertained with our programs and productions.