“You’ll never be an actress,” a high school teacher once said to Mariah L. Richardson, a native St. Louisan. Discouraged, she stopped pursuing theatre and majored in communications at the University of New Mexico.
Her deterred dream resurfaced, however, after Richardson viewed a performance of for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange. The intensely poetic play about the lives of 20th century women of color has achieved critical acclaim since its publication in 1975 and has transformed audiences throughout the country.
“After seeing for colored girls, I was inspired to write and perform a similar play,” she said. “I’m also a poet, and I could relate a whole lot.”
Not letting her high school teacher keep her from pursuing a passion, Richardson finished her undergraduate career with a B.A. in communications and a minor in theatre.
Her acting repertoire now includes seasons with the St. Louis Black Rep, Metro Theater Company and various theatres throughout the country, along with television appearances in In Living Color and The Mother Love Show Richardson continued to build more experience by work in television and film projects while living in Los Angeles.
Richardson earned her Master’s in fine arts from Smith College in Massachusetts, where she produced her latest play entitled Sistahs Indeed! and wrote and directed 5 of Cups, a short film that premiered in The Center’s Film Festival in New York.
Currently, Richardson is doing pre-production for a feature film, working on a spoken word CD, and programming for dhTV Channel 21, where she also teaches training classes. Focusing on education and training in the field of mass media, dhTV supports the growth of independent and underrepresented media arts in St. Louis.
Richardson also continues to perform. Her one-woman show entitled all that… has been performed throughout the country and has won an HBO New Writer’s Project Award.
And she is well-deserving of it. The play, which she performed last Friday at the Vaughn Cultural Center, is filled with humor and insights on the lives of five African-American females. It captivates the viewers’ attention without skipping a beat. Richardson seamlessly shifts between characters ranging from a child to a teenager to and a “strong, black woman.” With hardly any stage props, the characters charm the audience. One even asks for participation as she narrates her story.
Sometimes pushing the audience out of the comfort zone, Richardson dispels expectations and proclaims a broader perspective for the mature audience. all that… explores controversial topics, such as homosexuality, interracial dating, teen suicide and domestic abuse. It opens eyes to the consequences of non-conformity, illustrates the imprisoning effects of abuse, and advocates for optimism in a ruthless world that denies acceptance to those who are different.
Richardson will perform all that… at The Vaughn Cultural Center (3701 Grandel Square) on February 18 and 25. Admission is free but seating is limited. For mature audiences only. RSVP at 615-3624.
