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From MMA fighter to playwright: Lee Edward Colston II on the power of Black theatermakers
Playwright and actor Lee Edward Colston II shares an insider's perspective on the inspiration for his explosive play, 'The First Deep Breath.'
A play of epic proportion unfolds onstage at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Lee Edward Colston II’s The First Deep Breath takes audiences inside the Jones family home, where Pastor Albert is the proud leader of the Mother Bethel Baptist Church. Colston II — a former corrections officer and MMA fighter who eventually earned his M.F.A. in acting from Julliard and a recipient of the National Black Theatre’s I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency — has written an explosive family drama with a queer spin.
A memorial service planned to honor the pastor’s late daughter spirals as secrets unravel among the family’s children and how far they will go to keep their skeletons in the closet. The play continues the theater’s commitment to LGBTQ+ narratives, including last season’s West Coast premiere of The Inheritance and the upcoming world premiere of The Lonely Few starring Tony Award winner Lauren Patten.
Queerty caught up with Colston II shortly after the play’s opening, described by critics as “a juggernaut of family, race, and personal issues” and “wildly entertaining.”
Not many people can say they’re a former corrections officer, MMA fighter, and Julliard graduate. Is there some commonality between these three very interesting chapters of your life?
The only commonality I can find in those three chapters of my life is me! If you can find something, I’d love to know cuz I’m just as surprised as you are!
Before a performance, I always:
Light a candle, play some music, stretch, and breathe!
One of our favorite lines in The First Deep Breath is when Dee-Dee says, “You shouldn’t have to lie bout anything that make you feel free, right?” What makes you feel free?
Living my fullest life on my own terms. Being surrounded by beautiful Black people and creating joy together. That makes me feel like the freest version of myself.
Some of the play’s characters question masculinity by challenging our interest in the arts, like dancing and painting. Was there a moment in your life when you thought, “I love _____ and nobody’s going to stop me from pursuing it”?
Yes, I first discovered theatre when I was a teenager, and I saw a production of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf … and my life was forever changed. After seeing the production, I immediately went home and told my parents that I had decided what I’m going to do for the rest of my life: I was going to be an artist.
What is the play’s origin? Has it evolved since you first wrote it, and what’s unique about revisiting the work now?
The First Deep Breath was originally developed at The National Black Theatre (NBT) in 2017 during my time with their ‘I AM SOUL’ playwriting fellowship. NBT was the first organization to nurture and invest in me as a playwright. I was rejected by nearly every other major play development institution. It was a Black institution that saw and invested in me first. The Victory Gardens production in Chicago came to the table after working with NBT for nearly 18 months.
The play has evolved a lot from its time at NBT and Victory Gardens, and it’s evolved even more at the Geffen!
Related: Jonathan McCrory is ensuring that Black artistry is nurtured and uplifted at the National Black Theatre
The LGBTQ+ person I’d love to collaborate with:
Dead: James Baldwin
Living: Colman Domingo
The queer theatermaker everybody should be paying attention to right now:
Donja R. Love. His new play What Will Happen to All That Beauty is BREATHTAKING!
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