Silent Truth

by Magaly Colimon (Colimon-Christopher)

Adina Jamison is a brilliant first-generation Haitian-American/former high school valedictorian/college dropout/people-pleasing-mother-of-four-young-children who realizes she is trapped in a cycle of trying to be “good.” Today is her 30th birthday and she ready to break free of her role. After months of building up the courage, and carefully strategizing her escape from being a “good woman” - her plan slowly...

Adina Jamison is a brilliant first-generation Haitian-American/former high school valedictorian/college dropout/people-pleasing-mother-of-four-young-children who realizes she is trapped in a cycle of trying to be “good.” Today is her 30th birthday and she ready to break free of her role. After months of building up the courage, and carefully strategizing her escape from being a “good woman” - her plan slowly falls apart.

It takes a batch of marijuana-infused brownies, uncovering three generations of her Haitian family's secrets, and the unexpected support of the women in her family for her to finally find the courage to choose to learn how to claim her right to choose her destiny.

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Silent Truth

Recommended by

  • Eugene O'Neill Theater Center: Silent Truth by Magaly Colimon (Colimon-Christopher)
    “

    It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Magaly Colimon-Christopher and their play Silent Truth as a finalist for our 2018 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 53 finalists out of more than 1,4200 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

    It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Magaly Colimon-Christopher and their play Silent Truth as a finalist for our 2018 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 53 finalists out of more than 1,4200 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

    ”

Character Information

  • Lowanda Jamison
    Adina's eldest daughter. Very serious, focused, thoughtful, and a worrier. She is often the caretaker for her siblings when her mother is over whelmed. She has been her mother's primary support system for years.
    11
    Primarily of African descent
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Child,
      Teens
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Adina Jamison
    Slightly overweight. Attractive. A mixture of structured/controlled and scattered/unpredictable - she tends to prefer to be perceived as controlled. Adina has been suffering from bouts of depression since she was a teenager, but she has never sought treatment. She has spent years acting the role of the "strong Black woman."

    30
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Tanya Phillips
    1st generation Haitian-American. Adina's loyal sister. Attractive. Athletic. Outspoken. Open-minded. Fiery. Free-spirit. She is a strong believer in the healing powers of cannabis remedies. She likes to test people and challenge the status quo. Her success as a hedge fund analyst is matched by her edible cannabis baking skills, and her martial arts talents.

    25
    Haitian-American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Helen Matson
    1st generation Haitian-American. Free spirit. Joyful. Gentle but not weak. Adina's aunt. She loves yoga and she is an advocate of medical marijuana, and spiritual growth. She trusts her intuition and tends to be impulsive. She is privy to the secrets that her family refuses to share with each other, and everyone trusts her to be discreet. No accent required.
    late 50's
    Haitian American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Lillian Matson
    Bi-racial. Actress. Adina's cousin. Helen's only child. Ambitious, outspoken, self-reliant and self-confident. Freedom and stardom are her goals. She is the star of MISSION:ROBOTA a streaming show about a robotic engineering student/international spy. She relishes witnessing and analyzing other people's weaknesses in service of her art, yet she keeps her personal life secret. She is in New York City to end an unwanted pregnancy before she goes on a publicity tour for her show.
    20's
    Bi-racial
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Phebe Phillips
    Naturalized American born in Haiti. She has a slight Haitian accent. Widow. Retired accountant. Adina's mother. Edgy. Judgement. Watchful. Perfectionist. She enjoys being self-controlled and controlling. She wants and needs to be right. She dispatches outliers with her deadly glance and poisonous tongue. She is constantly watching to see what she can correct.
    60's
    Haitian
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Jamie Jamison
    Adina's husband. Handsome. Tall. Go-getter. Achiever. A bit of a manipulator. He and Adina have been a couple since his sophomore year at Columbia School of Engineering. His work takes him out of town for long stretches of time, but he believes the opportunities his high six-figure income provides his wife and children makes him a good provider. Being a good provider is key - and what happens when he is away from home, stays away from home.

    early 30's
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Hear Her Call Caribbean American Women's Theatre Fest, 2020
  • Reading, North Caroline Black Repertory Company - Living Room Theater, 2019
  • Reading, Actor's Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit, 2017

Awards

  • 2018 Finalist
    O'Neill NPC
    Finalist
    2018