Members of the Comfort family in a new narrative film created by Atlanta’s Out of Hand Theater are on edge as surviving relatives gather for a reunion that also serves as a memorial to loved ones lost to the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In “Comfort,” a half-hour film now available for free viewing online, they bicker constantly, some clearly showing survivor’s guilt, and struggle to decide if unvaccinated family members should even be allowed to attend. What’s remarkable, in a film created with funding from a CDC Foundation grant that seeks to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence, is that it’s nuanced enough to not make any member of the Comforts, vaxxed or not, a villain.
Written by Amina S. McIntyre and starring veteran Atlanta stage and screen actors Rob Cleveland and Cynthia D. Barker, leading a cast of largely local talent, “Comfort” dramatizes the challenging conversations that many families have had during the pandemic while going out of its way not to be judgmental.
“We wanted to present a relatable story that would realistically portray the differing viewpoints, fears and concerns that a lot of people have experienced in dealing with COVID,” the film’s director, Thomas Brazzle, says.
Also serving as project director of the theater troupe’s overarching Time Has Chosen Us health initiative team, Brazzle says an even-handed approach seemed the best direction for the film, based on extensive interviewing that the project team conducted in north central and southwest Georgia as well as in eastern Alabama. Many Black residents in these communities expressed a strong distrust of public health initiatives dating to the Tuskegee Experiment, the infamous syphilis study begun in 1932 by the U.S. Public Health Service in Macon County, Alabama.
“If you lean too hard into your perspective on being vaccinated or not being vaccinated, we want audiences to know that this will potentially alienate those around you and isolate you from the opportunity to connect and have conversation with others to find common ground and a way forward,” Brazzle says. “We ultimately want audiences to understand that we can’t let this pandemic be the thing that divides us.”
In addition to making the film available online, the Time Has Chosen Us team has taken the drama on the road, including, in June, twice to Macon-Bibb County and once to Tift County. In Tifton, Out of Hand partnered with Dad’s Garage, the other Atlanta performing arts group that received a CDC Foundation grant. Dad’s kicked off the event with a live performance of its improv show “A Dose of Comedy.”
The two theater troupes were among 30 groups nationwide selected for the program, funded at $2.5 million by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to educate local communities about vaccine safety and effectiveness.
With the support of a second grant, from the Georgia Department of Public Health, “Comfort” will be the focal point of at least four events a month throughout Georgia for two years starting in September. Presented at churches, community centers and at public gatherings such as festivals, the Time Has Chosen Us events feature Comfort as well as a four-minute informational film, plus fun family activities and games, with vaccines provided by community partners such as the Georgia Department of Public Health and CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort).
“We can’t guilt someone into wanting to get a vaccine,” Brazzle says, “but we can help them understand the importance for the sake of not only themselves but those around them.”
Meanwhile, Out of Hand, whose strong social justice mission is reflected in all of its programming and community outreach, hopes to develop more films. The goal is to produce work, Brazzle says, “with relevant storylines inspired by conversations from other communities and racial demographics to help bring more people together, to get information and feel more confident in public health in general as well as in the COVID vaccines.”
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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