Mark Braboy
News Editor
“Don’t Start No Stuff, Won’t Be No Stuff”, a play/opera written by local playwright and Jackson State alumnus Felicia Tillman, will open April 5 at 7 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex. Another showing will be presented on April 6th at 4 p.m.
Tillman is a native Jacksonian who is a business owner, a mother of three children, and author of the self-published erotica fiction novel, “It All Starts from Something”. She has produced three plays, including “U Got to Hurt before U Heal” and its sequel, “It’s Time to Take Out the Trash”. She was named a Vibe Vixen in 2012.
According to Tillman, the play is an urban contemporary comedy infused with Broadway theater. The plot revolves around two old friends who compete against each other in a citywide talent show with a grand price of $5,000 and a 2nd prize of $2,000. It will feature Gary Wit Da Tea and Juicy from the Rickey Smiley Morning show, local radio personality Tambra Cherie, and blues singer Vick Allen.
Tillman says that this is the funniest play she has produced thus far.
Tillman was inspired to playwright in 2009 when she went to see one of Tyler Perry’s films on a day off.
“Me and a couple of co-workers went to go see one of Tyler Perry’s movies and I kid you not, when we walked out of the movie, something said write a play. I’m telling you, I went and got a notebook. I had never written a play before, never wanted to be a writer, I hated writing in college. That was never my niche, but I went and did it,” said Tillman.
Even though she had no experience writing, Tillman says she spent a few weeks writing her first play high from the inspiration she received with just random lines and names.
“I didn’t have an idea. I just started writing. I didn’t know what the play was going to be about at all. I didn’t know who the characters were going to be. I didn’t know nothing. I just started writing.” she said.
With her experience as an event coordinator, she gathered people and opened her first production, “U Got to Hurt before U Heal”. From there, she was inspired by one of the actresses to pen her book, “It All Starts from Something”. When she got into play production, she fell in love with it.
Tillman’s personal story consists of her being labeled as a statistic for most of her life until she reached a point where she chose not to be one anymore. She credits her faith in God as an important reason.
“I remember praying and asking God to allow me to be successful because I was a rebellious teenager. I had a child when I was 18 and I didn’t have any goals, didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew something. I can’t tell you what that was. At that time, I think I had become a statistic…until I didn’t want to be one no more. That was the only way I was able to see something different,” said Tillman.
Tickets for the play/opera are available at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com.
