The Manipulation, Love, Lust, And Betrayal Of A Career Woman
Jerod Williams
ISBN (Hardcover): 9781425772345
ISBN (Paperback): 9781425772307
Xlibris
Reviewed By Alisha Grant
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Vanessa
wants to continue her illicit affair with the married Peter, who's
insistent upon breaking the whole thing off ever since his wife got
pregnant...Taylor has no problem being with Grant purely for physical
pleasure, but he wants a deeper emotional bond...Miranda is a
stunningly beautiful runway model, but she wants to be noticed beyond
her looks...a neglected housewife, Jada just wants to be noticed at all…
Four
different women, four different situations, but each with a common
desire: to be happy. Whether through guilt-free sex or a satisfying,
committed relationship, each of the women knows what she wants and is
determined to pursue it to the fullest; the only problem each one
encounters is coming to the difficult realization that what we want
often doesn't want us back.
Much is often made of the fact that
some (if not most) men would prefer to engage in relationships based
solely on sex, while women seek more fulfilling commitments - but
Vanessa and Taylor prove to be exceptions to that rule. Perfectly
content with sexually gratifying encounters, the two women find that on
the fast track up the corporate ladder they can't afford to be
distracted or weighed down by fleeting emotional concerns. Add to that
the fact that they'd rather avoid enduring the same kind of pain and
heartbreak they've suffered in the past, and their modus operandi
becomes quite clear. Trouble is, when they get involved with men who
reject the rigors of their "program," the rules of the game suddenly
change, and they're forced to adapt in ways that take them into
unfamiliar territory…
On the other hand, Miranda and Jada are
used to men who see them only as eye or arm candy, but they know that
there's more to themselves than just bodies and breasts. Seeking
gratification from people who can actually see them for who they are -
not what they are - they take chances on believing the words of those
who may not actually prove entirely truthful in the end…
Either
way, all four women are forced to come to grips with suddenly altered
lives, redefining their particular reality in order to face the strange
new circumstances now facing them. In his play, Williams does a
commendable job of making each woman's transition plain and palpable,
as well as the uncertainty they all face in light of the changes they
are forced to make. In so doing, he makes their personal stories
universal, transcribing the flurry of emotions that we all feel at some
point in our own lives.
In a brilliant denouement, Williams
masterfully weaves the fate of each individual woman into an ensemble
of unraveling lies and pretenses until only the unfiltered truth
remains. As a result, he further illustrates that while the women may
be facing a range of different problems, the solutions are usually
similar at the core: honesty often truly is the best policy.
The Manipulation, Love, Lust, And Betrayal Of A Career Woman
is a rewarding read designed to take the ongoing debate between the
sexes to the next level. No matter where you are in life, this play
will surely prepare you to face the uncomfortable truths about your own
"reality" that you may or may not be ready to change.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Jerod Williams (The Manipulation, Love, Lust, And Betrayal Of A Career Woman)
Apex Reviews: Jerod, thanks for joining us for this interview. Thanks also for allowing us to review your play. We're looking very much forward to learning more about it.
Where did you get the compelling interest to write about the trials & tribulations of professional African-American women?
Jerod Williams: Back in college, a good friend of mine challenged me to write a play about women because at the time women roles were either weak, one dimensional or just boring for the female actor to sink their teeth into. So, I wanted to develop a script that could display a roller coaster range of emotions for all my characters to play. The hardest challenge for me was how I was able to write about this and not be a woman. During my research of asking both men and women what they want out of a relationship, I came to the realization that both sexes, when it boils down to it, really want the same thing so I thought why not write what I want out of a relationship and translate it through the eyes of a woman. I tried to leave the race of each character open to interpretation because there were not many African-American women in my theatre department.
AR: Where did you get the inspiration to make Vanessa and Taylor similar to men in their outlooks on the act of sexual conquest?
JW: In my mind, I wanted Vanessa and Taylor to embody what a man thinks about when it comes to sex. It's sort of like allowing a woman to be put in a pair of men's shoes to see how it feels. I want her to feel the power; I want her to know what it's like just for her to get the idea of what a man thinks about. There has always been this never-ending battle of the sexes between men and women in their quest to get what they want. In this case, Vanessa and Taylor use the "assets" they have while not tipping their hand and showing their true feelings. It was fun to write these women playing the dominant role against their recessive counterpart for a change. I don't know about how other men feel about this, but for me there's something about a woman being in control and knowing what she wants I find very attractive. It's a turn-on.
AR: Likewise, what made you craft Peter, and especially Grant, as such sensitive souls?
JW: There were things about the character of Grant that mirror what I am as an individual so I mostly related to him in this play. What I found was both men and women play a dangerous game and play upon each other's insecurities just to get what they want. I wanted the recessive counterpart male to be pretty straightforward and to shatter the audience's misconception that men are pigs, dogs or any other animal that we are associated with. I want it to be okay for not only the women to be sensitive, but for the men as well just so that the audience can see both sides.
AR: As our reviewer mentioned, the denouement (post-climactic closing action) of the play is phenomenal. How did that develop?
JW: Initially after I wrote the scenes, I knew I wanted them to intertwine somehow. Even though each story is separate in itself, it really does have a common goal. Each woman wants to be happy – they want to be loved. I don't really want to give a lot away for the readers, but it was a unique way to end this play. I carefully had to choose the words that I wanted to use and make them mesh together without taking anything away from each of the scenes. The ending is absolutely my favorite and I had such a blast putting it together and I immediately had chills after reading it and visualizing it being played out in my head.
AR: Has the play been professionally produced? If so, what have the reactions been?
JW: Yes. It was produced when I was doing my undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. I had my best friend, who was my Assistant Director, be my second set of eyes as I also directed this piece. I truly got lucky with the production when I cast it. The people who performed it did an amazing job. They truly poured their heart and soul into this piece and they allowed me to take them out of their comfort zone and take risks. By doing that, it gave me the chance to develop the script. When we presented this for the Laboratory Theatre, the reactions were positive; so much so that I earned the respect of a lot of my peers for my writing and directing capabilities so I was truly honored.
AR: What's your take on the state of contemporary theatre, particularly modern African-American plays & playwrights?
JW: I think that contemporary theatre is not getting the credit it deserves. I do believe that contemporary theatre (if given a chance) can have just as much credibility as film and television. I've always said this about theatre – it is an amazing genre and it's a more raw and gritty medium than film is because you can display a gambit of emotions on a live theatre stage in front of an audience and get the freedom to play with choices as opposed to television where it's done in one take and that's it. Contemporary African-American plays and playwrights are few and far between and have a rich story to tell. It would be nice for all writers, whether it be novelists, playwrights, bloggers, screenwriters, etc. get the same street credit as we are all in the same business of creating a body work solely meant to entertain.
AR: It appears to be common now for the most popular African-American plays to be centered on relationships and marital drama. Do you agree with that assessment? Also, how do the popular trends affect your own writings, if at all?
JW: I agree with that assessment. A majority of most adult plays are centered on character-driven relationships that we all can relate to. As far as popular trends go, they do affect my writing to a certain extent. But, I try to write about things I feel passionate about at the time and are a challenge for me.
AR: It used to be commonplace for playwrights to publish their plays in book format (Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Alice Childress, Lorraine Hansberry, etc.), but it's not a practice that gets much attention now. Has that practice continued this whole time, or is it making a comeback now?
JW: I would like to think it's making a comeback. I encourage all playwrights to put their script in book form. Plays I find are easier to read and they are more engaging and interactive than novels. I chose to publish this play as an experiment for myself because I felt very passionate about this particular piece and I wanted to share it with the world. At the end of the day, essentially it's a story that evokes an emotion and it should be allowed just as much attention as a novel.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
JW: I appreciate everyone from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my writing, providing me with comments (both positive and negative) and more importantly the support. To know that I can touch at least one person with what I write about, I feel like I've done my duty. Write with your heart and write with conviction is what I truly believe. Feel free to visit my MySpace page solely dedicated to the book ( http://www.myspace.com/manipulatelovelustbetray) and support this wonderful endeavor that I put my heart and soul into as well as my EditRed page at ( http://www.editred.com ) for more of my writing. Peace and blessings.
AR: Thanks again, Jerod, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!