A couple years ago I was commissioned to write a short play. The news of Tamir Rice's shooting was all I could think about. He did not immediately die when the police shot him. He was on the ground, bleeding to death, and nobody attended to him. They just waited for paramedics to arrive. I could not shake this fact. I never will. I wrote this piece to honor Tamir Rice and his mother.

| 10 minute play |

Inspired by the shooting death of Tamir Rice by a police officer in Cleveland, "Protect & Serve" explores the aftermath of a similar tragedy. Following the funeral for her son, a mother confronts a police officer and a friend of the family. She desperately pleas for him to explain why this happened and who was looking out for her son as he laid bleeding on the ground. She is ultimately left wondering what parents are supposed to tell children when the people who are meant to protect them could be a source of danger.

| Adapted into short film, directed by Kate Jopson. It can be viewed at this link: https://vimeo.com/262125566 |