Lydia Diamond's "Stick Fly", Live

I read this play back in 2009, but I finally got a chance to see it performed last night at a fancy new venue in town, the Windy City Playhouse.

It's a glitzy, no-expense-spared production, about the troubled family life of some very elite black folks, all set on truly posh real estate: Martha's Vineyard.

The dad's a neuro-surgeon, one of the sons is a plastic surgeon, and the other son is a multi-degreed aspiring author whose first novel is soon to be published. Even the fill-in maid, the regular maid's daughter, has been to a couple of the best schools in the country.

But these 2 sons have brought their current girlfriends home to meet their parents. Neither girlfriend is a perfect fit for the family. One is white. And there are dirty family secrets about to explode on stage, amid arguments over race, privilege, and family values.

Did I mention it's a comedy?

The audience liked it a lot, and so did I. As we were walking out, I happened to cross paths with none other than the author, Lydia Diamond, who was exiting unobtrusively. I said hello, shook her hand, and told her it was good to see her and that I had taken a class from her years ago. She smiled and asked me if I was still writing, and I said yes and wished her a good evening.

She was a really good teacher. Taught a dialogue workshop. Here's a recent interview with her, which gives some idea of the sort of advice she gives.

She was insightful and kind
with student's work, such as mine.