Behind The Movie: The Making of Love Never Was the Issue

The following is an excerpt from the book, Behind the Movie  The Making of Love Never Was the Issue- Episode Three: The Heart of the Matter.

Rehearsals

           Because Dianne and Bobbye were not in Fort Wayne we used technology to conduct some rehearsals. Only Scenes 1-17 were initially rehearsed. These were the first scenes of the movie and focused on the heart attack and the medical and emotional response to it. We would hold rehearsals in library meeting rooms and Dianne and Bobbye would join us via Skype® or FaceTime®. Rehearsals were the opportunity for cast members to meet each other and establish some level of rapport.
           My focus was totally on Scenes 1-17. That was the only part of the script that the actors received. It was important that we represent the initial medical scenes as accurately as possible.

September 22, 2018
          Saturday, September 22, 2018 was the first day of shooting and took place at McMillen Health. This is where we shot all of the hospital room scenes. All of the principal characters were involved. We started around 8 am and finished up around 4 pm. It was a productive day and a good start to the project. I had worked a long, hard time to get this day done and it felt pretty good.

September 23, 2018
           Sunday, September 23, 2018 was the second day of shooting. The scenes shot that day were the bank scenes and the surgical waiting area scenes. All scenes were shot at the Minority Entrepreneurial Center between 10 am and 2 pm. It was a shorter day, but still productive.

Second Thoughts
           I honestly had a psychological let down after those first two days of shooting. In my mind I had prepared and planned for those first two days of shooting for nearly ten years and suddenly they were done. While some would suggest I should have been elated to have finally gotten my project off the ground after so many years, there actually was no joy. The reality of what had taken place on those first days did not live up to my expectations. I thought I had made some good decisions, but in my private reflective time, I confessed to myself that my dream was not matching my reality. I even thought of dropping the whole project because I couldn’t see how the project was ever going to match what I had envisioned it to be.

Getting Out of the Funk

           I didn’t schedule the next production date until October 27, 2018. I convinced myself that chucking the project would be an insult to both me and my Spirit. My Spirit had sustained me for so long that it just didn’t seem right to stop. During those ten years of waiting there were a lot of days filled with thought. There were times I was convinced that the project would never happen, then something would happen and I would get energized again. Going through this for nearly ten years was hard and I am still assessing the emotional and psychological price I may have paid. But what I know is that my Spirit never wavered. My Spirit told me it would happen and I had to have faith in my Spirit.

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Thursday April 4th, 1968

Thursday, April 4th, 1968 is the story of a group of high school students who are traumatized by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis in 1968.  While the students try to process their grief, anger, fear, and confusion to this national tragedy, one student, Moses Derrick has to make a personal decision that will impact the rest of his life.

Moses is a track star at Central High School and is preparing to run his last race as a high school senior on the same day that Dr. King is being laid to rest.  Classmates, family, and friends try to convince Moses that it would be disrespectful to run, but Moses knows that running this race is his last chance to achieve his dream of winning a state championship; a dream he has been pursuing his whole life.

Thursday, April 4th, 1968 powerfully narrates the challenges of relentless peer-pressure, unwavering family expectations, and tremendous internal conflict that Moses faces in pursuing his dream.

webpage: www.SoulVisionTV.com/thursdayapril4th1968.htm

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Thursday 4th, 1968- Excerpt from Chapter 3

    “Mr. Perry, Mr. Perry, turn on the TV! Turn on the TV!” 
shouts NewsBoy. “Somebody shot Dr. King! Somebody shot 
Dr. King!”
    The entire ice cream shop gets quiet.
    Linda chastises NewsBoy, “Come on, NewsBoy. That ain’t 
funny.”
    Frustrated and upset NewsBoy shouts, “I’m not lying!  I’m 
not lying!  It’s just happened! It just happened!  It’s on the 
news!  It’s on the news!”
     Moses stops the jukebox.  Mr. Perry turns on the 19”,
black and white TV setting behind the counter and turns the
volume up.  The students all gather around the counter to see
and hear the news.  On the TV, the newscaster is reporting
that Dr. King has been shot.
    “Memphis police say they have no suspects in the
shooting, but witnesses have indicated the shots came from a 
boarding house across from the Lorraine Hotel.  Dr. King was
in Memphis to lead a peaceful protest in support of striking
sanitation workers.  Again, for those of you just joining us,
reports out of Memphis, Tennessee say that Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.  has been assassinated.  At this time, we don’t know
who or how many killers were involved.  Dr. King, the Noble
Peace Prize recipient, …”
     Mr. Perry turns down the volume on the television.  The
students and other patrons kind of mill around not quite
knowing what to say or do.  There is an uncomfortable silence.
Margaret’s cries breaks the silence.
     “I can’t believe it!  How could anyone do this.  Dr. King is
our savior.
     How could they kill him?”
     Diane responds, “Evil!  That’s what it is.  Just plain Evil.”
     Margaret continues to express her pain, “What are we
going to do now?  Our leader is dead.  How are we going to
overcome without Dr. King leading us?”
    In an attempt to comfort Margaret, Robert says, “It’ll be
okay, Margaret.  Dr. King has a lot of soldiers.  The fight will
continue.”
    William responds to Robert’s statement, “You’re right about
that.  There is definitely going to be a fight.  All I can say is,
y’all better get your guns and get ready.  The Revolution is
about to start.”  There seems to be a sense of satisfaction in
William’s voice for the prospect of racial combat.
    Johnny jumps on William, “William, Man.  Don’t nobody
want to hear that noise now.”
    “So, what you gonna to do about it, Johnny?” replies
William.  “What ‘cha gonna do?”
    Johnny moves towards William.  William gets off of the stool
and takes a defensive stance.  Robert and Moses quickly step
in between the two.
    With a stern voice, Mr. Perry squashes the tension.
    “All right now.  I know everybody’s upset but we’re not going
to have any fighting up in here,” declares Mr. Perry.
    “Y’all so disrespectful to Dr. King”, Margaret exclaims.
    “They’re just stupid,” says Cynthea.  “They think they can
solve everything by fighting.”
    Heeding Mr. Perry’s words, William and Johnny return to
their seats.
    Ricky, who graduated from Central last year, comes through
the door.  He is a boastful young man who is a member of the
Nation of Islam.  Wearing a brown suit, yellow bowtie, and
sunglasses, Ricky moves swiftly and confidently carrying a
stack of newspapers.
    “As-salaam-alaikum, my brothers and sisters,” says Ricky.
    No one acknowledges him.
    “What’s up?  Why y’all so quiet?” asks Ricky
    NewsBoy responds, “Didn’t you hear the news, man?”
    “What news?” asks Ricky.
    NewsBoy points to the television.
    “They killed Dr. King,” says NewsBoy.
    “Who killed Dr. King?” asks Ricky.
    “They don’t know yet.  All they know is that somebody shot
him,” replies NewsBoy.
     Ricky starts to laugh.  NewsBoy rushes out of the ice cream
shop.
     “Well, well, well.  The mighty Dr. King is dead.  What will
the Negroes do now?” asks Ricky.
    “Shut up, Ricky!  Shut up!” shouts Margaret.
    “What?” responds Ricky.  “You don’t want to hear the
truth?  It’s all right here.”
    Ricky holds up a copy of “The Final Call”, one of the
newspapers he’s carrying.  
    “Maybe now some of you play tenders will get 
enlightened and follow the teachings of the Honorable Elijah 
Muhammad,” replies Ricky.
    Diane chastises Ricky.  “You have absolutely no sense
of compassion, do you Ricky?  A man just died who spent his
whole life trying to make it better for people like you, and all
you can do is sit up hear and promote some fake…”
    Ricky interrupts Diane.
    “FAKE?” interrupts Ricky. “You call the Honorable Elijah 
Muhammad, fake?  He has done more to enlighten Black men
than King.  All King wanted you to do was to march and sit-in,
and beg the white devil for what is already yours.  The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches you that you are
great.  You don’t need the white man.”
    “You sound just like William,” replies Cynthea.
    “Please! This brother don’t have a clue,” responds William.
    Ricky addresses William.
    “What are you talking about, brother?”
    “I’m talking about your whole Muslim movement,"
responds William. “What are y’all doing? Y’all talk big game,
but where’s the results?"
    For the first time, Ricky takes a defensive tone.
    “Well, what are you doing ‘Mr. Black Panther’?” retorts
Ricky.  "You go around talking about how you going to have a
revolution, but all I see is your butt always sitting on that stool.”
    “Oh, we’re getting ready, My Brother,” replies William.
    “Yeah, I bet,” responds Ricky. “I’ll come back a year from
now, and you’ll be sitting on that stool, talking the same ‘ole,
same ‘ole. Meanwhile, I will have led a lot of people to the
truth.”
    “But that’s all you do. Sell papers and bean pies,” replies
William.
    “And all you sell is wolf tickets,” responds Ricky.
    “We’re helping people, man,” William proudly declares. “We
have kitchens...”
    “We have kitchens, too,” counters Ricky.
    “We empower our people. We tell them to be in charge of
their own lives,” says William.
    “The exact same thing that we teach our people in the
Nation,” says Ricky.
    Mr. Perry is amused by the pseudo debate Ricky and
William are trying to have.
    “Sounds like you two have more in common than
you realize,” interjects Mr. Perry. “That’s what Dr. King was
all about. He understood that we are all God’s children, and
we are more alike than we could ever be different.  Isn’t it
ironic that on the day that he dies, you knuckle heads finally
learn that?
shouts NewsBoy. “Somebody shot Dr. King! Somebody shot 
Dr. King!”
    The entire ice cream shop gets quiet.
    Linda chastises NewsBoy, “Come on, NewsBoy. That ain’t 
funny.”
    Frustrated and upset NewsBoy shouts, “I’m not lying!  I’m 
not lying!  It’s just happened! It just happened!  It’s on the 
news!  It’s on the news!”
     Moses stops the jukebox.  Mr. Perry turns on the 19”,
black and white TV setting behind the counter and turns the
volume up.  The students all gather around the counter to see
and hear the news.  On the TV, the newscaster is reporting
that Dr. King has been shot.
    “Memphis police say they have no suspects in the
shooting, but witnesses have indicated the shots came from a 
boarding house across from the Lorraine Hotel.  Dr. King was
in Memphis to lead a peaceful protest in support of striking
sanitation workers.  Again, for those of you just joining us,
reports out of Memphis, Tennessee say that Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.  has been assassinated.  At this time, we don’t know
who or how many killers were involved.  Dr. King, the Noble
Peace Prize recipient, …”
     Mr. Perry turns down the volume on the television.  The
students and other patrons kind of mill around not quite
knowing what to say or do.  There is an uncomfortable silence.
Margaret’s cries breaks the silence.
     “I can’t believe it!  How could anyone do this.  Dr. King is
our savior.
     How could they kill him?”
     Diane responds, “Evil!  That’s what it is.  Just plain Evil.”
     Margaret continues to express her pain, “What are we
going to do now?  Our leader is dead.  How are we going to
overcome without Dr. King leading us?”
    In an attempt to comfort Margaret, Robert says, “It’ll be
okay, Margaret.  Dr. King has a lot of soldiers.  The fight will
continue.”
    William responds to Robert’s statement, “You’re right about
that.  There is definitely going to be a fight.  All I can say is,
y’all better get your guns and get ready.  The Revolution is
about to start.”  There seems to be a sense of satisfaction in
William’s voice for the prospect of racial combat.
    Johnny jumps on William, “William, Man.  Don’t nobody
want to hear that noise now.”
    “So, what you gonna to do about it, Johnny?” replies
William.  “What ‘cha gonna do?”
    Johnny moves towards William.  William gets off of the stool
and takes a defensive stance.  Robert and Moses quickly step
in between the two.
    With a stern voice, Mr. Perry squashes the tension.
    “All right now.  I know everybody’s upset but we’re not going
to have any fighting up in here,” declares Mr. Perry.
    “Y’all so disrespectful to Dr. King”, Margaret exclaims.
    “They’re just stupid,” says Cynthea.  “They think they can
solve everything by fighting.”
    Heeding Mr. Perry’s words, William and Johnny return to
their seats.
    Ricky, who graduated from Central last year, comes through
the door.  He is a boastful young man who is a member of the
Nation of Islam.  Wearing a brown suit, yellow bowtie, and
sunglasses, Ricky moves swiftly and confidently carrying a
stack of newspapers.
    “As-salaam-alaikum, my brothers and sisters,” says Ricky.
    No one acknowledges him.
    “What’s up?  Why y’all so quiet?” asks Ricky
    NewsBoy responds, “Didn’t you hear the news, man?”
    “What news?” asks Ricky.
    NewsBoy points to the television.
    “They killed Dr. King,” says NewsBoy.
    “Who killed Dr. King?” asks Ricky.
    “They don’t know yet.  All they know is that somebody shot
him,” replies NewsBoy.
     Ricky starts to laugh.  NewsBoy rushes out of the ice cream
shop.
     “Well, well, well.  The mighty Dr. King is dead.  What will
the Negroes do now?” asks Ricky.
    “Shut up, Ricky!  Shut up!” shouts Margaret.
    “What?” responds Ricky.  “You don’t want to hear the
truth?  It’s all right here.”
    Ricky holds up a copy of “The Final Call”, one of the
newspapers he’s carrying.  
    “Maybe now some of you play tenders will get 
enlightened and follow the teachings of the Honorable Elijah 
Muhammad,” replies Ricky.
    Diane chastises Ricky.  “You have absolutely no sense
of compassion, do you Ricky?  A man just died who spent his
whole life trying to make it better for people like you, and all
you can do is sit up hear and promote some fake…”
    Ricky interrupts Diane.
    “FAKE?” interrupts Ricky. “You call the Honorable Elijah 
Muhammad, fake?  He has done more to enlighten Black men
than King.  All King wanted you to do was to march and sit-in,
and beg the white devil for what is already yours.  The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches you that you are
great.  You don’t need the white man.”
    “You sound just like William,” replies Cynthea.
    “Please! This brother don’t have a clue,” responds William.
    Ricky addresses William.
    “What are you talking about, brother?”
    “I’m talking about your whole Muslim movement,"
responds William. “What are y’all doing? Y’all talk big game,
but where’s the results?"
    For the first time, Ricky takes a defensive tone.
    “Well, what are you doing ‘Mr. Black Panther’?” retorts
Ricky.  "You go around talking about how you going to have a
revolution, but all I see is your butt always sitting on that stool.”
    “Oh, we’re getting ready, My Brother,” replies William.
    “Yeah, I bet,” responds Ricky. “I’ll come back a year from
now, and you’ll be sitting on that stool, talking the same ‘ole,
same ‘ole. Meanwhile, I will have led a lot of people to the
truth.”
    “But that’s all you do. Sell papers and bean pies,” replies
William.
    “And all you sell is wolf tickets,” responds Ricky.
    “We’re helping people, man,” William proudly declares. “We
have kitchens...”
    “We have kitchens, too,” counters Ricky.
    “We empower our people. We tell them to be in charge of
their own lives,” says William.
    “The exact same thing that we teach our people in the
Nation,” says Ricky.
    Mr. Perry is amused by the pseudo debate Ricky and
William are trying to have.
    “Sounds like you two have more in common than
you realize,” interjects Mr. Perry. “That’s what Dr. King was
all about. He understood that we are all God’s children, and
we are more alike than we could ever be different.  Isn’t it
ironic that on the day that he dies, you knuckle heads finally
learn that?

 

COLBY AND MONTERAE

Colby and Monterae Barrett have been married for thirteen years.  They met when they were both in their late twenties, and dated for eighteen months before tying the knot.  They have no children, something they agreed to before getting married.  Their marriage is mostly traditional based on love, trust, and respect, but also rich in practicalism, rational, and logic.

Colby works as an Aeronautical Electrical Engineer for a aircraft engine manufacturer.  An intelligent and thoughtful person, Colby works hard to maintain strength and balance in mind, body, and soul.  Monterae is the Director of Technical Communications for a cable television company.  A wise and respected person, Monterae also maintains an excellent physical, mental, and spiritual fitness.  The couple lives comfortably in a four bedroom home in the heart of the city.

For the last year and a half, Colby and Monterae have maintained a very strong bond in all aspects of their relationship except for sexual intimacy.  They have had several discussions over the eighteen months, but no resolution has been developed to create a true sexual interest.  The fact of the matter is that sex never played a significant role in their relationship.  They enjoyed the intimacy over the years, but it was never a priority, and now it is more of an afterthought than anything else.  Both agree that counseling will not make a difference.

In their last conversation about the matter, Monterae brought up the idea of having other partners.  Colby did not object.  Neither one has ever “stepped outside” the marriage.

How do you think this story should end?

Send comments to:  soulstories2018@gmail.com

 

YOUNG BLACK LOVE

Is different from any other.

For the young lady, the young man,

It’s a different sense.

A feeling only some really experience.

 

Young Black Love is natural,

It’s not planned or pre-arranged.

It happens at moment’s notice,

And at times, ends just as fast.

 

But still the experience to love

A Black young man for a Black young lady

Is something her heart will never forget

And if her love is real, he won’t forget either.

 

Whether it be going to the “Friday night parties”

Or spending Sunday evening in the living room.

Talking every night on the phone about nothing

Or listening to Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

 

Black, young love is unique.

Together, hip, bad, and a good thang.

If you got it, keep it!

If you don’t, get it!

 

SAM

 

THE ONE I NEVER HAD