Above: Everybody Respects Big E, written by and starring Reginald Edmund
By Gina Young
With OF A DARKER HUE, Reginald Edmund will confront themes of racism, trauma, and the supernatural. In a chilling series of horror stories told in monologues from the African American perspective, Reginald will explore the ways our deepest fears are often rooted in our collective histories and experiences, where the horrors that lurk in the shadows are not just monsters, but also the very fabric of American reality. With Research + Development: For Parents/Guardians, Reginald will have a week of focused time to develop this new work from the ground up, with specially-tailored support including a childcare stipend. Reginald is a parent, and when he and I connected via Chat to discuss his inspirations for the project, he had his hands full!
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Hello, Reginald!
Hello! Sorry if there’s big gaps [between my responses]–I’m doing daddy daycare at the same time, so I’m trying to keep toddlers from killing themselves on my watch!
Haha, all good! So, what brought you to Los Angeles Performance Practice and to R+D: For Parents/Guardians?
When I first moved to Los Angeles, LAPP was recommended to me as an organization that really champions groundbreaking artists and that it would be in my interest to get to know them. The R+D project I kind of accidentally stumbled upon in my research of the organization, and I thought it would be an amazing opportunity for me to pursue.
The catalyst for OF A DARKER HUE is extremely compelling. In your application for R+D you described being inspired by “the rich cultural heritage of African American storytelling, the dark and often unspoken histories of Los Angeles,” and your personal experiences. You mention that you’ve “always been fascinated by eerie and unsettling Afro-Surrealist stories.” I would love to hear more about what first drew you to horror and the supernatural.
I have always been drawn to the things that haunt us. At memory and how it affects us. How things of the past latch on to us and we carry them into the present day. I’m a Southern boy at heart, born in California but raised in Texas, my family is all from the South. So growing up, I was immersed in Southern storytelling–the rich folklore, the gothic tales. Everything had a history to it and some of that history was dark and lasting. Those stories, that atmosphere, they’ve always resonated with something deep inside me. And I was compelled to look at the history of Black America and wonder how the horror and some of that trauma ripples into the next generations.
Southern Gothic influence is definitely apparent in this project. We at LAPP are also intrigued by how OF A DARKER HUE connects to the history of Los Angeles. You’ve described “The city’s dark past, marked by racial violence, segregation, and economic inequality… From the haunted mansions of Pasadena to the streets of Watts… Los Angeles [is] a city where the boundaries between reality and myth [are] blurred.” Can you say more about that?
So… I’m intrigued about the idea of generational trauma as I delved into the history of Los Angeles, especially for Black and Brown communities. This city, like many, has a past filled with both triumph and tragedy. With OF A DARKER HUE, I really want to explore those hidden corners, the stories that haven’t always been told. I am fascinated by the city’s past, particularly the racial tensions and injustices, and how those moments in this city’s history could leave echoes that ripple through time. I want to explore the way those echoes can manifest in the present day, the way they can shape individual lives… that’s what I want to capture with this crazy project. Los Angeles had the Tongva, the Spanish, the Mexican, Post-Conquest American settlers, the Transcontinental railroad, the Gold Rush, Hollywood being created, riots, god knows how many stories, and blood has been shed and lives lost within those narratives, and I just wanted to use this opportunity to conjure up some of those voices to have their stories finally told.
You’re a very accomplished playwright; what draws you to the monologue form for this project?
I’m really interested in giving the audience a deeply raw and intimate connection to the characters and their experiences. Just thinking about how I can go about letting those forgotten stories and lives come to life and breathe, and at the same time, allow us to truly experience their pain, their fears, and their struggles up close. I think the monologue form is the perfect way to let those ghosts speak out. My premise is that it’s told rather campfire-ish. Fingers crossed this science experiment works
Sounds amazing. The campfire concept sounds like the perfect merging of form and content. So, how do you imagine using your time at R+D? What might your process be, what are you most excited about exploring, and what might be some hopes you have for this experience?
You know, I’m really looking at seeing how these monologues mesh together and discovering how to enhance the theatricality of these monologues. Pulling in perhaps projections; shadow play potentially works when the audience is so close to the actors. And just having a sounding board to explore some of these concepts that I’m playing with. I have an amazing director named Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway that I’m working with, and I’m pulling in an exciting actress named Katrina D. RiChard to help me shape this particular monologue that I’m working on during R+D.
Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway
Reserving two R+D spots for Parents/Guardians is very important to us at LAPP. How do you balance being a parent and being an artist?
So, right now I’m trying to figure out how to be both an artist and a parent. That’s why I’m so incredibly grateful to the R+D project; I’m hoping this helps me realize my vision for OF A DARKER HUE, especially since we don’t have family here in LA to help us. I’m the father of twin 2 year old toddlers named Reign and Royal. At this moment, I have one toddler that has kidnapped my phone and is watching Bluey, while the other has climbed on my lap at the moment, and is demanding that I give her milk.
Twins! Two is a wonderful age… but I bet they’re hard to keep up with.
Definitely a workout!
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Reginald Edmund is the Co-Founder and Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives, Black Words International Project. In 2021, his work with BLBW was recognized by the Gard Leadership Award. In addition, he was a Resident Playwright at Tamasha Theatre in London, England and an Alumni Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, an Artistic Associate at Pegasus Theatre-Chicago and an Artistic Patriot at Merrimack Repertory Theatre; he was also a 2010-11 Many Voice Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center. His play Southbridge was runner up for the Kennedy Center’s Lorraine Hansberry and Rosa Parks National Playwriting Awards, and most recently named winner of the Southern Playwrights’ Competition, the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best New Play and the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. His nine-play series titled The City of the Bayou Collection, include Southbridge, Juneteenth Street, The Last Cadillac and All the Dying Voices were developed at esteemed theaters including Pegasus Theatre-Chicago, Deluxe Theatre, Actors Theatre of Charlotte, Bush Theatre (UK), Theatre @ Boston Court, The Landing Theatre, Playwrights’ Center and The National Theatre (UK). Reginald Edmund received his BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern University and his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.
