“Lord, why do I keep choosing the wrong man?”It’s an important question, and it’s one that a gospel stage play seeks the answers to.
On Saturday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., Emmanuel Seegars of Charlotte will bring “Lord Why Do I Keep Choosing the Wrong Man?” to Livingstone College’s Varick Auditorium.
The play, written and directed by Seegars, is a mix of drama, comedy and music that seeks to inspire and enlighten.
The play features Curtis Blake, who appeared in Tyler Perry’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” as well as playwright Donald Gray, from BET’s “Stranger in My House” and “Man of her Dreams.”
Seegars wants people to understand that this is a professional production and not your typical “church play.”
The play is about the choices made by the family of Ellen and Joe Brown.
Ellen and Joe have three children. Joe is threatened by insecurities and dangerous secrets being exposed, while Ellen attempts to deal with the fact that Joe denies their last child as his own. All the while, their daughters commit to having relationships with men that favor the dominating and manipulative traits of their father. So what IS the answer to the question: “Lord, why do I keep choosing the wrong man?
Seegars says that Salisbury resident JaCori DeMariae will make a cameo appearance in the play, singing “A Change is Gonna Come,” a Sam Cooke song.
Seegars, a native of Kershaw, SC, got into the theatre playing the bartender in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”
He later became inspired to write his own plays, including “Daddy, Where Are You?” and “Just be a Man About It,” which was performed to a sold-out audience at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte. Seegars’ plays have been performed around the country.
Seegars has known Tyler Perry for 18 years now, he says, and considers him a mentor. Perry has been to all of his productions, Seegar says, and “a few of his people have been in my shows.”
Seegars, who owns VIP Cutz in Charlotte, is motivated by faith and community outreach and has worked extensively with the homeless in the Charlotte area. Every Wednesday, Seegars meets with groups of homeless men and women at Charlotte’s No Walls Ministry for an hour-long session called Power Hour with Emmanuel. Those who show up receive not only nourishing meals but also life lessons, a sense of community and even free haircuts.
Tickets for “Lord, Why Do I Keep Choosing the Wrong Man?” are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and are available at the Literary BookPost, 110 S. Main St. (704-630-9788) or through Curtis Dean at Livingstone College (704-216-6834).