Plays & Novels
"
David E. Talbert is one of the most prolific theater makers in America.”
- Los Angeles Times
PLAYS
ANOTHER MAN WILL
Joe and Cynthia Scott are the perfect couple… or at least twenty years ago they were. Somewhere in the routine of it all, Joe has forgotten just how much of a knockout his wife really is. Unfortunately for him, their ruggedly handsome gardener hasn't. Lovely once, lovely still… treat her right or another man will.
Cast: Tommy Miles, Nadine Ellis, Jason Weaver
WHAT MY HUSBAND DOESN'T KNOW
Lena Summer is the envy of all her friends. Big house. Successful husband. It's the perfect life...or so it seems. But with her husband's demanding career as a construction mogul, the other side of her bed is too cold too often. When a handsome young foreman arrives to work on their home, the spark she's been missing quickly rages into a wildfire.
Cast: Brian White, Michelle Williams, Tiffany Haddish, Clifton Davis, Ann Nesby
LOVE IN THE NICK OF TYME
Sexy salon owner Tyme Prentice is a single mom juggling her career and the on-again-off-again relationship with the father of her child. When the chance for real love comes into the picture with her high school best friend and local UPS man, will Tyme embrace it or continue waiting in vain?
Cast: Morris Chestnut, Avant, Ellia English, Terry Dexter
THE FABRIC OF A MAN
Dominique Majors is an up-and-coming fashion designer in love with a self-centered stockbroker who wishes she’d focus less on her career and more on him. When Dominique stumbles into an old-school dry cleaner, she meets a young tailor who takes interest in more than just her clothes. Torn between the comfort of finance and the potential of new romance, Dominique is forced to decide which fabric of which man best suits her.
Cast: Darrin Henson, Clifton Powell, Tammy Townsend, Buddy Lewis
HE SAY SHE SAY...BUT WHAT DOES GOD SAY
The hapless congregants of True Vine Church find themselves fighting for control of their block with their longtime nemesis neighbor and infamous gangster, Satin Jones. After years of living in fear, True Vine’s newly appointed pastor vows to save the church from Satin and liberate the tormented gangster from the life he secretly regrets.
Cast: Clifton Powell, N’Bushe Wright, Tommy Ford, Nephew Tommy
LOVE ON LAYAWAY
Three women living in a Philadelphia brownstone make decisions about life and love. Monique Graham feels that her relationship with her live-in boyfriend is on layaway and he’s making the absolute lowest monthly payments. Epiphany King is a single mother deciding who will be the new man in her life, her new boyfriend or her six-year-old son. Willanetta Johnston, having just found religion, struggles to maintain a relationship with her worldly suitor.
Cast: Deborah Cox, Mel Jackson, Chico Benymon, Cassi Davis
SUDDENLY SINGLE
Samantha Stone, a beautiful wife and mother, has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for seventeen years. On the day they’re set to move into their dream home, Sylvester confesses that he is leaving her for another woman. What do you do when the only man you’ve ever loved falls in love with someone else and leaves you suddenly single?
Cast: Isaiah Washington, Garcelle Beauvais, Marcus T. Paulk, BeBe Drake
A FOOL AND HIS MONEY
When the down-on-their-luck Jordan family win a radio contest for a million dollars, they quickly realize that more money means more problems. It seems everybody wants a piece of their new fortune, including a long lost uncle played masterfully by comedian Eddie Griffin.
Cast: Michael Beach, Eddie Griffin, Cindy Herron-Braggs, Ann Nesby
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
In this battle of the sexes, celebrated ladies' man, Tyree Jackson thinks his only job is to sneak women in and out of his apartment while his live-in girlfriend, Desirae, is at work. Tired of his philandering ways, Desirae and her girlfriend devise a plan to give Tyree a taste of his own medicine.
Cast: Wesley Jonathan, Reagan Gomez, Tony Rock, Lavell Crawford
HIS WOMAN HIS WIFE
At home, attorney Stuart Banks lives with Denise Washington, the woman he has no intention of making his wife. This spells drama. At work, a temp agency hires the mother of Stuarts child as his new secretary. This spells baby mama drama. As a result, Denise is forced to decide if it’s worth continuing to be Stuart’s woman if she’ll never be his wife.
Cast: Malik Yoba, Tony Terry, LeCresia Campbell, Yvette Nicole Brown
MR. RIGHT NOW
A story of love, friendship and betrayal. She’s a single mother looking for true love. He’s a con man looking for his next prey. Together they board an emotional rollercoaster that can only be derailed by a pure-hearted plumber named Walter.
Cast: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Kesha Ealy, Chris Bolton, LeCresia Campbell
LOVE MAKES THINGS HAPPEN
Set in the fast-paced world of an internet marketing company, Love Makes Things Happen is the story of Sheila Carter, a sexy six-figure-a-year marketing exec who rarely leaves her nineteenth floor perch to interact with the lowly workers she employs. When Sheila finds herself stuck in an elevator with one of her handsome employees, she’s forced to reevaluate her rules as it relates to finance and romance.
Cast: Kevon Edmonds, Dawn Robinson, Joe Torry, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble
LAWD HA' MERCY
Clarice Tucker is a small town gospel singer with big city dreams. After a chance encounter with two fast-talking record producers, she’s whisked away to a world far from the one she’s used to.
Cast: Morris Day, Jerome Benton, The Clark Sisters, Edwin Hawkins
TELLIN' IT LIKE IT TIZ
A candid look at relationships through the eyes of four women working in a clothing boutique and four men hanging out in the local barbershop. This outrageous comedy toured in 40 cities, introducing Talbert’s comedic brand to a burgeoning national fan base.
Cast: Alfred Guidry, Paula Martin, Kelita Smith, Terri J. Vaughn
TALK SHOW LIVE
Jamica Jones isa local talk show host who takes great pride in her journalistic integrity. When forced by her producers to make her show more edgy, she reluctantly gives in. After an immediate spike in ratings, she quickly finds herself despising the career she’s always loved.
Cast: Arthel Neville, Adele Givens, Kim Waters, Maurice Wilkinson
NOVELS
BAGGAGE CLAIM
With her mother having just tied the knot for a fourth time and her baby sister rushing to jump the broom, perennial maid of honor and flight attendant Montana Moore concocts her wildest and most romantically ridiculous plan yet — a thirty day, thirty-thousand-mile trek in search of a husband. Fasten your seat belts, lift your tray tables, and prepare for takeoff. Our final destination, the altar.
LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE NO MORE
Recreating the late eighties culture of rap and recklessness, Talbert's international best-selling novel was inspired by the real-life events of rap mega-star Snoop Dogg. This hard-hitting street saga rings true to saints and sinners, broadening Talbert's fan-base and introducing his work to new legions of fans.
LOVE ON THE DOTTED LINE
Morgan Chase, a thirty-four-year-old contracts lawyer, is pushed to her romantic wit’s end when she discovers that her investment banker boyfriend has been diversifying his “portfolio” with another woman. After a few hours of venting with her girlfriends, and more than a few drinks, Morgan goes home and creates the first ever relationship contract that she requires new boyfriends to sign before they have sex. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and emotions hit the fan when the man Morgan finally convinces to sign her contract breaches it.
THE PEOPLE'S PLAYWRIGHT
In response to the overwhelming requests of aspiring playwrights, actors and theater directors, Talbert comprised a collection of scripts to three of his ground-breaking productions, Mr. Right Now, The Fabric of A Man and His Woman, His Wife.