A ritual of healing, a celebration of love and a story of what remains after loss takes center stage in a deeply personal new production making its world premiere in Austin.
“And She Was Loved,” a new one-act play from Black Rose Theater ATX, explores grief, emotional abuse, memory and healing through poetry, movement, music and ritual.
Playwright, theater artist and Austin Poet Laureate Zell Miller III joined Sierra Waggoner on We Are Austin to share the deeply personal story behind the production and what audiences can expect.
Playwright, theater artist and Austin Poet Laureate Zell Miller III joined Sierra Waggoner on We Are Austin to share the deeply personal story behind the production and what audiences can expect.
The play grew from two profound losses in Miller’s life: the death of his mother, Vernell Miller, and the passing of his longtime mentor, Bessie Award-winning theater artist Laurie Carlos.
Carlos helped develop the jazz aesthetic, a theater technique incorporating elements including breath, movement and gesture language.
Miller said his mother and Carlos died just 16 months apart about a decade ago, leaving him to navigate his own journey through grief.
Black Rose Theater ATX turns grief into healing with And She Was Loved
“I have been dealing with grief, holding it and trying to get rid of it, trying to go to therapy, different things,” Miller said. “And I finally decided to lean into what I was put here to do, which was to be an artist.”
That decision eventually became “And She Was Loved,” allowing Miller to explore not only loss, but what remains after the people we love are gone.
To tell that story, Miller draws inspiration from “Peter Pan” and creates a world called the Land of Never. Miller’s character, Yasha, serves as the story’s Pan, while his real-life daughter, Marly Luna Miller, portrays Shadow.
World-class tap dancer Siobhan Alexis plays G, a Tinker Bell-inspired character who communicates through her feet and rhythmic language.
As those pieces came together, Miller said creating the production became part of his own healing.
Black Rose Theater ATX turns grief into healing with And She Was Loved
“What is left at the end is this beautiful remembrance,” Miller said. “And now I can remember them and honor them without the pain.”
Sharing the stage with his daughter makes the experience even more personal. Miller described Marly as a talented writer and visual artist and said their relationship as father and daughter continues even in the middle of rehearsals — including his attempts to run lines with her over breakfast.
The production combines poetry and monologues with movement, gesture language and breath work. It also incorporates films by Stephanie Reed featuring Miller’s mother and Carlos, with actresses voicing monologues Miller wrote for the two women.
While the story comes from Miller’s personal experiences, he hopes audiences will see pieces of their own journeys reflected on stage.
“I want you to feel that it is possible for you to heal, because it’s possible for me,” Miller said. “This is my journey. So I hope that you go through the process, feel some of the things that I went through and you find your own journey.”
Miller also promises that audiences will be “dazzled,” pointing to the performances, set, lighting and score that help bring the story to life.
“And She Was Loved” marks the first production in Black Rose Theater ATX’s inaugural season, setting the stage for the company’s mission of telling American love stories through an African American lens while creating spaces for healing and connection.
Miller, who has worked as an artist in Austin for 26 years, said he saw a need for consistent Black theater programming in the city and wants Black Rose Theater ATX to reach audiences and artists across generations.
The company’s plans include theater programming for children ages 5 to 12, opportunities for teens and young adults and productions for adult audiences.
On Dec. 12, Black Rose Theater ATX plans to host a Family Pajama Party featuring award-winning children’s book authors, holiday music and Miller reading “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
The company is also planning a writing intensive for writers ages 18 to 21 that will reimagine the classic film “The Breakfast Club” through Black and brown, gender-fluid and LGBTQ+ perspectives.
“We are going to hit all levels, and I don’t think anyone’s doing that in Austin,” Miller said. “That’s going to make Black Rose stand out.”
“And She Was Loved” runs Sept. 3–12, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. at Hyde Park Theatre in Austin.
For tickets and more information, visit Hyde Park Theatre online.
“And She Was Loved” runs Sept. 3–12, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. at Hyde Park Theatre in Austin.
For tickets and more information, visit Hyde Park Theatre online.