"The House That Will Not Stand" to become a film
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at 1:00PM by Nathaniel R
Lynda Gravatt as the widowed matriarch of "The House That Will Not Stand" and her rival played by Marie Thomas
Wanted to make sure you've all heard this very good news. Shadow & Act reports that last year's Off Broadway play The House That Will Not Stand is getting the film treatment. Yours truly was on the Drama League nominating committee last season (the show earned three nominations) and I had the privilege of attending that show early in its run. It was a fascinating play from a time period in history we'd previously heard nothing about...
The play is set during a tumultous era and complicated legalities in the South in the early 1800s. In New Orleans, a French colony and thus free from direct rule from the US, some black women in common law marriages to white men, became millionaires while black people elsewhere in the South and even some in New Orleans were suffering the horrors of slavery. The play was riveting in mood and mystery and even featured supernatural elements (New Orleans, don'cha know). It should lend itself brilliantly to visual opportunities if they choose the right director and cinematographer so let's hope this project is blessed. If the movie is faithful to the play you'll be treated to a dramatically exciting ensemble film with multiple complex roles for black and biracial women.
The play is about a newly widowed woman (Lynda Gravatt, Drama League nominee) who realizes her fortune will soon vanish due to the changing laws, her clairvoyant or mad (?) sister, her three daughters who are trying to snag white husbands and the family's slave (yes, the black family owns a slave further complicating the play's racial drama) whose future is also in danger when the family's freedom and fortune dissipates.
Three marriage-eager bi-racial daughters
Drama Desk and Drama League and Lucille Lortel nominee Harriet D Foy as the house slave "Makeda"
In addition to its three Drama League nominations last season, it received two Outer Critics Circle nominations (Best Play and Featured Actress for Harriet D Foy who played the family slave Makeda), three Drama Desk nominations (Featured Actress for Harriet D Foy again, Music in a Play, and Lighting Design). It also won Best Costume Design for Montana Levi Blanco at the Lucille Lortel Awards (it's only nomination there).
Reader Comments (7)
I'm assuming no director is attached (yet)? This could be a great BlacKkKlansman follow-up for Spike Lee, or, even better, or a project for an underrated female director like Kasi Lemmons (though she does have Harriet coming up any minute).
This sounds fascinating! Kasi Lemmons would be an excellent, if slightly obvious, choice to direct this based on the strength of Eve’s Bayou alone. I’d also suggest Julie Dash, Dee Rees, Barry Jenkins, and Andrew Dosunmu as great options for tackling the material.
Mareko: I mean, if they're starting production soon? Ava DuVernay just finished something big, but she works QUICK and who knows when DC will be ready for her to shoot that New Gods thing, if they ever are ready to bite that bullet.
Give it to Dee Rees
Kasi Lemmons is the only one with an immediate tie to this material.
This sounds very exciting. Would love if they gave it to someone like Amma Asante or Dee Ress. Or some others that have been doing great job on TV that could use a chance like Neema Barnette, DeMane Davis, Tina Mabry, Tanya Hamilton...
V -- whoever they give it to i hope it's someone with visual flair. That's why I wouldn't be happy if it was Amma Asante since her work hasn't been that exciting visually and this one could really be great in that particular way. So I'd vote for Lemmons (who could get the mysticism right) or Rees (who is strong with visuals). .... but my dream is a major talent unknown to us now or someone we dont know well but we know is visually inventive like Melina Matsoukas (one of the directors on Beyonce's "Lemonade" and has her first feature coming out this year)