Marc Raby

At the height of her career in the 1960s, Nina Simone was at once adored and dismissed: praised as a genius, condemned for her politics, branded “unstable” for her defiance. My Dearest Nina is a psychological stage thriller built from imagined letters between Simone and a white fan whose devotion curdles into possession.

What begins as flattery becomes intrusion. His voice slips into her music, his gaze into her skin. As her managers and critics dismiss her fears as paranoia, Nina answers back the only way she can: through fractured riffs of her most iconic works—Feeling Good, Four Women, Mississippi Goddam, Sinnerman.

Devon got married.
Now he’s glowing, ironing his shirts, and saying stuff like “brunch reservations.”
His boys think it’s witchcraft.
They’re dead serious.
When one of the Brotherhood starts acting suspiciously... happy, the rest launch a full-scale
basement trial to uncover the truth. With hot sauce, conspiracy theories, and wildly flawed logic,
three grown men take friendship to ridiculous new heights — and possibly, rock bottom.
“Your Wife’s a Witch” is a laugh-out-loud comedy about manhood, maturity, and the terrifying
power of a good woman.

Love ain’t always gentle. Sometimes, it’s the only thing standing between you and the fire.
Birmingham, September 1963. The air is thick with something more than heat—something waiting to break. The civil rights movement is raging. Bombs are tearing through Black neighborhoods. And in just a few days, four little girls will walk into the 16th Street Baptist Church and never walk out.
Dynamite Hill ain’t just a place—it’s a front line. A battlefield disguised as a neighborhood. A home built on land that don’t want to hold it. But the Calloways? They’re still standing. For now.
Ezekiel Calloway knows what it means to fight. He fought overseas, and now he’s fighting again—only this time, the war is at his own doorstep. Delores, his wife, prays over supper like she’s building a shield around them, trying to hold faith together with both hands. Their son, Zebedee, is tired—tired of feeling like a walking target, tired of waiting for the next explosion. Their daughter, Leo, has music in her hands and a storm in her heart, but no matter how loud she plays, the world only hears what it wants to. And outside? The night is waiting. Holding its breath.
But this ain’t just a story about bombings and bullets. This is a love story. Just not the kind that comes easy. Not the kind that’s soft. This is a love story forged in fire. Love of family. Love of home. Love that holds on when everything else is falling apart.
Written by Birmingham native Marc Raby, Dynamite Hill: A Different Kind of Love Story is an intimate, urgent portrait of a family caught between resistance and survival, fight and flight, past and future. It’s about what happens when staying feels like a war and leaving feels like a surrender.
With sharp confrontations, relentless tension, and moments that stay with you long after the lights go out, Dynamite Hill doesn’t just ask what do you do when the world tries to push you out?—it asks, what happens when the choice is no longer yours to make?
Because love ain’t just a feeling. Love is the line you hold.
And on Dynamite Hill, love is survival.

Single•ish: It’s Complicated”
“Six friends, one unforgettable night, and a reality-show-worthy explosion of love, betrayal, and self-discovery.”

Welcome to the most exclusive party in Atlanta, where love isn’t black and white—it’s every shade of messy in between. Jasmine, newly single and out to prove she’s thriving, throws a glamorous penthouse party to celebrate her freedom. But when her ex, Ryan, crashes the soirée, tensions ignite, secrets are spilled, and the truth comes out faster than the tequila shots.

Over the course of one wild night, six friends confront their past mistakes, buried feelings, and each other—turning this intimate gathering into a powder keg of heartbreak, hilarity, and growth. As the lines blur between friends and foes, everyone is forced to decide: Is it time to hold on or finally let go?

Filled with razor-sharp wit, electric chemistry, and moments that hit you right in the heart, “Single-Ish: It’s Complicated” is the unfiltered, unapologetic urban stageplay everyone will be talking about. Real love may be complicated, but this play is drama at its finest.

A Soulful Reckoning in Song and Story
Step into the smoky intimacy of a dimly lit lounge, where time feels suspended and every note carries the weight of a lifetime. Stranger in the Night is a powerful and deeply moving exploration of fame, identity, and the enduring search for meaning.
Set on a restless evening in the late 1980s, the story follows an iconic performer—a legend who made the spotlight his home—as he steps onto an empty stage, accompanied only by a lone pianist. This is no ordinary concert. It’s a confessional, a reckoning, and a celebration. Through haunting melodies and searing monologues, the performer shares the triumphs that defined him and the mistakes that haunt him. He delves into the weight of brilliance, the loneliness of being first, and the fragile beauty of trying to leave something behind that truly matters.
At once deeply personal and universally resonant, Stranger in the Night invites the audience to witness a man laying his soul bare, revealing the humanity behind the legend. With each song, he offers a glimpse into his struggles, joys, and unyielding hope. This is not the polished entertainer the world once knew—it is a man searching for connection, his voice carrying the echoes of a life lived in the glow of fame.
Part concert, part confession, and entirely unforgettable, Stranger in the Night is a deeply moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of music.
Don’t miss this intimate, soul-stirring performance—a haunting reminder of the cost of greatness and the beauty of connection.

In No Days Off, every moment counts, and every choice costs. Amina is just trying to catch her breath—a rare day off to feel something close to normal. But peace is hard to come by when survival is your full-time job. As an exotic dancer who occasionally escorts on the side, Amina’s world is full of blurred lines, and everyone around her seems to think they know what’s best: Tasha, her fiercely loyal best friend, who’s always ready to ride or die (but never ready to sugarcoat). Monica, her childhood confidant, who’s traded her struggles for a steadier life and won’t stop “encouraging” Amina to do the same; And James, her married lover, who keeps showing up with promises of safety—and strings attached.

Even Emily, her bubbly, clueless neighbor, can’t seem to keep her optimism to herself.

But as Amina’s livelihood crumbles and secrets come to light, one day off becomes anything but. Caught between the pressures of love, survival, and identity, she must decide whether freedom is worth the cost—and if she’s willing to pay it.

With raw emotion, razor-sharp dialogue, and a haunting conclusion, No Days Off is an unflinching look at what it means to hustle, to dream, and to hold on when everything is slipping away. Crafted for, but your audience is only, Marc Raby delivers a story that’s as bold and complex as the women at its center—challenging, provocative, and unforgettable.

Playwright’s Note:

“E. Montgomery’s Finishing School for Girls” is a tribute to the extraordinary women who have shaped the futures of countless young Black girls throughout history. While Mrs. Evelyn Montgomery is a fictional character, she stands on the shoulders of many real-life women whose strength, grace, and resilience have left an indelible mark on society. These women, often unrecognized by history, provided both the tools and the courage for the next generation to rise above the limitations placed on them by a world that underestimated their worth.

In crafting this story, I drew inspiration from remarkable figures such as Flora Devaughn McGhee, a dedicated educator from Birmingham, Alabama, whose tireless efforts helped guide Black youth through the difficult terrain of segregation. Her life’s work mirrored the way Mrs. Montgomery instills resilience in her students, helping them prepare for a world that often fails to acknowledge their brilliance.

The poise, grace, and discipline taught by Maxine Powell at Motown’s Finishing School also resonated deeply in the creation of Mrs. Montgomery. Powell’s belief in the importance of how one carries oneself—on and off the stage—mirrored the values that our protagonist passes on to her students. Through Powell’s work with artists like Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye, she showed the world that how you walk, talk, and present yourself can be an act of resistance.

Moreover, women like Clarissa Lester Kenty, who broke boundaries as Miss Black USA, helped redefine beauty and challenge society’s narrow standards. Kenty’s success and subsequent work mentoring young women reflect the internal and external battles for recognition and self-worth that young Black women must face. Her journey is echoed in the trials and triumphs of the girls at Mrs. Montgomery’s school.

Through characters like Lila, Ruby, Cora, and June, this play explores not just their stories but the collective legacy of women like Mary McLeod Bethune, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Dorothy Height—figures who fought fiercely for the right of young Black women to define their own futures. These women believed in the power of education, refinement, and self-respect as tools for liberation.

At its heart, this play is about legacy. It is about the ways that strong, determined women shape future generations, even in the face of great societal challenges. It’s a reflection on the strength and courage that it takes to stand tall, both as a woman and as a person of color, in a world that often does not make space for you.

To every woman—known or unknown—who has ever taught a Black girl to walk with her head held high, this story is for you. It’s for the lessons passed down through whispered conversations, silent strength, and firm guidance. And to the young Black girls who will someday lead us all, I hope this story shows you that your beauty, strength, and brilliance are undeniable.

—Marc Raby

“E. Montgomery’s Finishing School for Girls” is a poignant and powerful drama set in the 1960s, following the journey of four young Black girls under the mentorship of the formidable Mrs. Evelyn Montgomery. As the girls grapple with societal expectations and their own fears, Mrs. Montgomery teaches them the deeper meaning of grace, strength, and resilience. In the wake of a personal crisis, Mrs. Montgomery makes a life-changing decision, forcing the girls to step into the world on their own. This multigenerational story spans time, bridging the past and present, as the legacy of strength is passed down to the next generation.

Me Against the World: 1996 is a powerful stage play set in a Birmingham, Alabama barbershop, exploring the grief, hope, and resilience of a Black community following the shooting of Tupac Shakur. Beginning on September 6, 1996, and spanning six days until Tupac’s death, the play uses vibrant dialogue and heartfelt storytelling to connect a group of men to Tupac’s defiant spirit and the shared struggles his music represented.

As they grapple with systemic violence, community loss, and the possibility of losing yet another Black icon, the barbershop transforms from a lively space of camaraderie to one of reflection and mourning. The final scene, set in 2024, shows a now-emptier barbershop—a silent testament to the enduring impact of Tupac’s legacy on their lives and the community.

Through its poignant narrative, Me Against the World: 1996 explores identity, loss, and the transformative power of art, leaving audiences with a resonant reminder of the strength to keep pushing forward even when it feels like the world is against you.

Me Against the World: 1996 is a powerful stage play set in a Birmingham, Alabama barbershop, exploring the grief, hope, and resilience of a Black community following the shooting of Tupac Shakur. Beginning on September 6, 1996, and spanning six days until Tupac’s death, the play uses vibrant dialogue and heartfelt storytelling to connect a group of men to Tupac’s defiant spirit and the shared struggles his music represented.

As they grapple with systemic violence, community loss, and the possibility of losing yet another Black icon, the barbershop transforms from a lively space of camaraderie to one of reflection and mourning. The final scene, set in 2024, shows a now-emptier barbershop—a silent testament to the enduring impact of Tupac’s legacy on their lives and the community.

Through its poignant narrative, Me Against the World: 1996 explores identity, loss, and the transformative power of art, leaving audiences with a resonant reminder of the strength to keep pushing forward even when it feels like the world is against you.

Room 214” is a deeply evocative journey through the lives of nine sets of characters, all tied together by their time spent in a single hotel room. Imagine a room that’s seen it all—passion, heartbreak, healing, and betrayal—each chapter revealing the soul-stirring moments of people from all walks of life, just like us. Guided by Ruby, the wise and empathetic maid who has silently observed the parade of human emotions that have unfolded in this space, we’re invited to explore the depth of our own stories through the experiences of others.

In the heart of the 1980s South, Homegoing unfolds within the walls of Nelson & Sons Funeral Home, a once-thriving pillar of the Black community, now struggling to stay afloat. As gentrification creeps into the neighborhood and the world around them shifts, the Nelson family faces their greatest challenge yet: holding on to a legacy built on love, sacrifice, and secrets.
At the center of this powerful family drama are Samuel Nelson, the patriarch who clings to the old ways, and his two sons, Nathaniel and Levi, who wrestle with the weight of the family business and their father’s unyielding expectations. Tensions rise as the past haunts the present, unearthing long-buried secrets that threaten to tear the family apart. The sudden death of a beloved friend inside the funeral home sends shockwaves through the family, leading to a devastating confrontation that reveals the hidden fractures within.
As the Nelsons navigate grief, betrayal, and redemption, Homegoing paints a vivid portrait of a family at a crossroads. The play explores the cost of holding on to traditions in a world that is rapidly changing, asking whether it’s possible to honor the past while forging a path to the future.
With dialogue that pays homage to the rich, poetic rhythms of the legendary August Wilson , Homegoing is a deeply moving exploration of legacy, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. As the final curtain falls, the Nelson family’s journey leaves audiences reflecting on the ties that bind us to our history and the choices we must make to shape our destiny.
Homegoing is a must-see for those who crave theater that challenges the heart and mind, offering an unforgettable experience of love, family, and the relentless march of time.

In this interpretation of John Steinbecks work, Of Mice and Men the enduring themes of companionship, aspirations and perseverance unfold, in the bustling and ever evolving streets of Anytown, USA. George and Lennie a pair of siblings are fervently pursuing a grand vision—to establish a sanctuary for vulnerable children with nowhere else to go. However turning this aspiration into reality proves to be a challenge. They confront the realities of life contending with societal biases and the relentless urban renewal that is fracturing their community.

As the city undergoes transformations and expansions so does their cherished neighborhood. Mrs. Davis, an elder who has witnessed it all imparts her sagacity and anecdotes underscoring the importance of solidarity in times when external forces seek to divide them. Her words resonate amidst the chaos emphasizing that unity is essential for survival, in these times.

Along their path George and Lennie encounter allies as adversaries. Mae, an educator wholeheartedly embraces their mission by providing encouragement and optimism. Conversely there is Curley—the son of the school principal—who embodies the obstacles they face; ingrained prejudices, power struggles and societal barriers that continuously hinder their progress.
The tension grows as their dreams and reality collide leading to a confrontation that puts their relationship and loyalty to the test.

At the core of it all lies Georges deep love and care, for Lennie, who is navigating life with challenges. Georges unwavering commitment sheds light on the struggles against discrimination based on abilities challenging a society that often marginalizes those who're different. The narrative highlights the importance of understanding, inclusivity and creating communities where everyone belongs.

With its engaging conversations and relatable personalities this adaptation resonates with audiences. Of Mice and Men; An Adaptation tells a tale of holding onto optimism standing up for justice and the unyielding resilience that comes from standing by each other. It serves as a reminder that in times of prejudice and upheaval there is always a path forward when we stand together.

In a world quick to forget, one young woman dares to remember. Rags of Remnants is a powerful and emotionally resonant play that explores the delicate balance between social justice, personal conviction, and the bonds of friendship. The title reflects the fragmented and often overlooked stories of Black women who have become victims of police violence. Set in a high school buzzing with prom excitement, the play follows Imani, a bold and determined senior who cannot stand by as the names of Rekia Boyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and so many others fade into obscurity.

Imani’s decision to make a daring statement at prom challenges her peers to confront the harsh truths they’d rather avoid. But standing up for what’s right isn’t easy—Imani’s choice tests her friendships, strains her relationship, and forces her to grapple with the loneliness that often accompanies activism. As tensions rise and relationships fray, Imani must find the courage to stand firm, even if it means standing alone.

Rags of Remnants compels audiences to reflect on the cost of silence and the enduring power of remembrance. It’s a story that reminds us all that one voice, no matter how small, can ignite a movement and create lasting change.

In “A Family Affair,” three adult siblings—Nate Jr., Nicolette, and Tammy—reunite for the holidays under the watchful eye of their mother’s memory. Set in the cozy home of Tammy and her husband Emmitt, the play explores the complexities of family relationships, the weight of past decisions, and the healing power of togetherness. As they gather to honor their late mother’s wish to keep the family close, old wounds are reopened, new conflicts arise, and the siblings are forced to confront their own flaws and failures. Nate Jr. is on the brink of losing everything due to his questionable choices in love, Nicolette is struggling with her personal demons, and Tammy is trying to maintain control of her household while dealing with her own marital challenges.

Set against the backdrop of a holiday gathering, the story unfolds as siblings Nate Jr., Nicolette, and Tammy, along with their respective partners and children, come together for the first time since the passing of their beloved matriarch. Each character brings their own set of challenges and unresolved issues, from relationship woes and sibling rivalries to the pressures of parenthood and the pursuit of personal happiness.

As secrets are revealed and tempers flare, the family must confront their past grievances and learn to forgive and embrace one another. With a mix of laughter, tears, and soul-stirring moments, "A Family Affair" is a celebration of the resilience of family and the enduring power of love.

This play is a touching exploration of what it means to be a family, reminding audiences that despite the ups and downs, family is the one thing that always brings us back home.

Synopsis:

Set in a charming bed-and-breakfast run by the Holiday family, Holiday Inn is a heartwarming comedy-drama that weaves together themes of family, love, and tradition. The story unfolds during the Christmas season, as the Holidays face both hilarious and poignant challenges in keeping their beloved inn afloat after the passing of the family patriarch.

At the heart of the play is Ava, who struggles to keep the family business alive while honoring her father’s legacy. Her brother Jesse, fresh from college, returns home with surprising news and a new love interest, adding to the chaos. As they navigate financial troubles, unexpected guests, and long-buried family secrets, the Holidays must rely on each other more than ever.

In a turn of events filled with laughter, love, and a touch of holiday magic, the Holidays discover that the true spirit of Christmas isn’t just about holding on to the past, but embracing new beginnings. Holiday Inn is a story of resilience, the bonds that hold us together, and the miracles that can happen when we open our hearts.

Themes:
Genre: Comedy-Drama