By JR Robinson, CEO & Co-Founder, JustMy

Some stories entertain us. Others hold up a mirror. This week, Actors Renaissance Theatre brings the second kind to TheatreWorks on the Square, and I believe every Memphian who has ever loved someone, worried about someone, or quietly wondered whether their own relationship is healthy should be in a seat.

The play is Soul Ties, written and directed by Memphis playwright Dabrell Thompson. It runs Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, which is the first week of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The timing matters.

A story about the chains that won't let go

Soul Ties follows Vanessa Jamison (Shana Schaeffer). After losing her father, she finds herself in a relationship with Cam (Mikey Christian), a narcissist who believes everything he does is right, even when it is clearly wrong. The relationship becomes psychologically, emotionally, and physically abusive. As Vanessa struggles to understand what love really means, she has to face a hard question: Is forgiveness the key to true happiness?

Our JustMyMemphis team sat down with the cast and the playwright before opening week. What we heard was not just a group of artists promoting a show. It was people who believe this story can change, and possibly save, a life.

"Three years in the making"

Dabrell Thompson is a writer, director, actor, and award nominee. He told us Soul Ties had been forming in his mind for about three years before Actors Renaissance Theatre and its Director of Community Marketing Outreach, Mary Ann Washington, gave him the platform to bring it to the stage.

He says the play is based on true events and draws on stories he has read and on his study of positive psychology. At its core, it deals with domestic abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and the narcissism that often drives them.

"If you need to see a reflection of yourself on that stage, whether you're the abuser or the abusee," Thompson said, "hopefully this play can open your eyes and show you that you probably need to work on yourself. Be more self-aware. That's what it's all about."

That last line stayed with me. Too often we talk about abuse only from the outside, as something that happens to other people. Soul Ties asks everyone in the audience to look inward, including people who may be causing harm without fully recognizing it.

"Listen to the people around you"

Shana Schaeffer plays Vanessa. She described her character as loving, caring, and sweet, someone who loves hard and wants that love returned. For Schaeffer, the play is about more than showing abuse. It is about learning to recognize it and to overcome it.

"When someone's telling you, 'Hey, something's not right,' you really want to listen to that," she said.

She believes nearly everyone in the audience will connect with the story, either through their own experience or through someone they know. "I think this play will help them understand and see what that looks like," she said, "so it can be resolved."

Playing the hardest role in the room

Mikey Christian took on the play's most uncomfortable role, Cam. He told us he prepared by watching Tyler Perry films and other movies featuring volatile, controlling male leads, men acting outside of themselves.

He sees the production as a resource as much as a performance. "It's about a lot of things people have gone through," Christian said. "Hopefully this can be a play that helps people get through things they've been through in the past."

Why this play matters right now

Here is why I'm personally urging Memphis to show up this weekend.

Abuse rarely looks the way we expect. It doesn't always begin with a bruise. It often starts with control, isolation, manipulation, and a partner who is never wrong. Soul Ties puts those warning signs on stage where we can see them clearly, together.

It starts conversations families avoid. A night at the theatre can open a door that a lecture never will. Bring your sister, your best friend, your son, your daughter. Talk about it on the ride home.

New Memphis stories deserve Memphis audiences. Actors Renaissance Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built on the belief that new stories matter. In the company's words, this premiere represents "the heart of who we are." Original local work survives only when local people buy tickets.

It is accessible. Thursday is Pay What You Can Night, so cost should not keep anyone away. Thompson is also giving away a $50 cash prize at the Friday opening night performance. "It's hard out here in this economy," he said. "You need gas, you need food."

At JustMy, we talk a lot about giving every person and community the tools to be found and heard. Theatre like this does exactly that. It gives voice to experiences that too many people carry alone.

The cast

• Shana Schaeffer as Vanessa Jamison
• Mikey Christian as Cam
• Key Amo'ur as Kiara (Ke Ke) Jamison
• Alexandria Moore as Vickie Jamison
• Evone Dillon as Bianca Reed
• Shuntae Brown as Mya Wesley
• Antamica Grimes as Mrs. Georgia Evans (Oct. 4)
• Kelli Pollard as Mrs. Georgia Evans (Oct. 1 & 2)
• Carnecia Avant as Carmen Richards
• Jeremi White as Dr. Kevin Tatum
• Tree Johnson as Malik Graves
• Darryl Williams as Marcus Graves

Crew: Dabrell Thompson (Writer/Director), Xavier Whittington (Assistant Director), Joshua Horton (Stage Manager), Mary Ann Washington (Production Manager & House Manager), Anita Holmes (Production Assistant & Lights), Greg Scott (Sound), Greg Jones (Props). Sponsored by 901 Comics and 901 Games.

Show details

Where: TheatreWorks on the Square, 2085 Monroe Ave., Memphis, TN 38104

• Thursday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m. (Pay What You Can Night)
• Friday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. (Opening Night, $50 cash giveaway)
• Saturday, Oct. 3, 2:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 4, 2:00 p.m. (Closing)

Tickets: $25, available on the Events page at therenaissancetheatre.com

Media contact: Mary Ann Washington, 901-314-5932, Maryannmemphis2@aol.com

As Shana Schaeffer put it: "Memphis, please come out and support this show. Support the Actors Renaissance Theatre. Support Dabrell, support the cast members. We need it."

I'll see you there.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788). Locally, the Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County offers support services.