The modern young woman has to deal with a lot of issues, and the Yellow Rose Society aimed to display those during their twelfth annual production of Genesis: Love and Life. This year, the focus of the play was relationships, mental health and interracial relationships.
“We wanted to bring up women’s issues that would be humorous as well as serious,” Jendayi Muntu, sophomore and Yellow Rose board member, said.
Yellow Rose has served as a community service organization for minority women on campus for 13 years. Its goal is to raise awareness of women’s issues through involvement on campus and the community.
Written by club members Rudyra McBain and Astin Hayes, both sophomores, Genesis follows the lives and relationships of four college friends. One girl has a hard time letting go of her ex-boyfriend of three years, while another is uneasy about dating someone of another race.
The play included a new, interactive twist this year – during key points of the plot when the characters had to make crucial decisions, the audience was given the choice of which direction the story should go. The audience became an integral part of the play as each new vote was taken.
“The interactive style kept the show interesting while showing real life issues and concerns,” Brittany Lambert, freshman, said.
The play contained scenes of adultery and fights but maintained its serious tone by touching on the topic of suicide and offering information about the Counseling Center on campus. The club made sure to enforce the need for women – and men – to confront the problems in their lives by asking for help.
“The play surpassed my expectations completely,” Kara Brown, freshman, said. “It was great.”
For more information about the Yellow Rose Society, email Jazmane Morgan at Jnmore98@aol.com. The Counseling Center can be contacted at 305-284-5511.
Camille Cohen can be contacted at c.cohen@umiami.edu.