Andre Orie wants to create a safe space for Black men to express their feelings.
“After 21 years of being married, I realized I wanted to get some answers,” Orie said. “Not just for myself but for women and really wanting for women to have a deeper understanding of what men think and feel and recognizing that it’s an ongoing process to effectively communicate with a human being.”
That was the impetus for “The Heart of a Man,” her new play that centers the interior life of men. The play will be performed at Synchronicity Theatre, with two shows on Saturday. The Atlanta writer and director initially premiered the play in 2016 at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. At the time, Orie felt inspired to explore the male psyche after the death of Philando Castile, who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police that same year.
Today, she wants to explore some of those same themes while bringing new ideas to the forefront, like addressing what mental health looks like for Black men. That’s why she ensured that the play was held in May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“The Heart of a Man” includes 18 cast members who will deliver monologues related to experiences that Black men face in their personal and professional lives.
“Where do men go with this frustration knowing that you’re walking around in a country that doesn’t always have your best interest at heart?” Orie said, “In a world that doesn’t value you, what can be done about that?”
Stevie Baggs Jr. worked with Orie on the 2016 production. He’s the director and stars in the current production. Baggs’ monologue will be a love letter dedicated to women in the audience.
“It’s a beautiful thing to hear so many different perspectives, from the men speaking to women, but also women being able to have the veil lifted on the why,” Baggs said. “The who, what, when and where is always powerful, but I think the most powerful thing is exploring why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Maurice Johnson is the latest addition to the play. He joined after one of the cast members, esteemed Atlanta entrepreneur Scotty ATL, was injured when he was hit by a car earlier this month.
Johnson’ said his character in the play will focus on being the epitome of what women want in a relationship.
“He’s that guy that’s committed to his woman. He’s locked in. He’s been married for 20 years. I think people think love is lost, but I’m the quintessential man that I think will reignite the faith in love and that love is still here, and there are guys that really are willing to do so.”
“The Heart of a Man” revival took 45 days to produce, with the cast rehearsing every week. Rod Minger, another cast member, said the rehearsals feel therapeutic and are helpful to ensure each actor offers a stellar performance.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“It’s kind of like healthy competitive pressure because you don’t want to get upstaged by the person that goes in front of you or behind you, either. You got to hold your own weight to make sure we are equal parts of this chain, and that’s going to make this production great.”
In 2022, Orie wrote a play that’s billed as the female version of “The Heart of a Man,” “Lipstick Monologues.” The play was also at Synchronicity Theatre. She hopes to take both productions on the road.
But, in the meantime, she’s working on turning the monologues from “The Heart of a Man” into a book and plans to donate the proceeds to HBCU theater departments across the country.
“You can expect to be immersed in an evolution of feelings,” Orie said about the play. “You can expect to be immersed in truth.”
IF YOU GO
“The Heart of a Man”
2 and 7 p.m. May 18. $87-150. Synchronicity Theatre, 545 Peachtree St NE #102, Atlanta. 404-484-8636. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theorieagency/804498#
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