![\"anecessarybody\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/anecessarybody.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Left to right: Michelle Jackson, Kasi Teyana and Nina Simone, authors of <\/em>A Necessary Body. Photo by Charles Snyder<\/em><\/p>\n Three women, all local African-American playwrights–Kasi Teyana, Michelle Jackson, and Nina Simone Moore–grew up in different parts of the country with different upbringings but all have similar stories to tell. Stories about self worth, a woman\u2019s physicality, the complexities of being a woman of color. <\/p>\n These three dynamic women intend on raising awareness and open dialogue about the objectivity of womens’ bodies and their experiences as black women in America in their upcoming poetry show-slash-play, A Necessary Body<\/em>.<\/p>\n In addition to an IndieGoGo campaign that will end tomorrow at midnight, the trio will premiere A Necessary Body<\/em> in September at Shades of Afrika near Downtown and Anointed D\u2019va Boutique in North Long Beach. <\/p>\n The writing process can be very overwhelming and daunting in the beginning. Starting with a general idea, or scope; the whittling down of those ideas can take a lot of time and sometimes a set of fresh eyes can smooth this process out. Teyana and Jackson began this project by focusing on an ambitious piece about what it means to be a black woman. After the two attended a performance by a popular California based poetry collective, 5-Ology, they decided to bring in a new voice to scale down the generality to a more specific story: black women and their bodies. The ladies brought in Simone and held a writing retreat and were able to make headway in their writing, finalizing the play. The ladies shared their experiences on the writing process:<\/p>\n What was the writing process like creating A Necessary Body<\/em>? Ideas that stuck to the wall?<\/strong><\/p>\n KT<\/strong>:<\/strong> I think as black women we are taught to be really strong. We don\u2019t take the time to care about our bodies because we got to do so much and take care of so many other people. [It was] A bit of challenge to sit down and say: \u201cHow do I really feel about my breasts? How do I really feel about my thighs? Are these things that bother me? Are these things that I\u2019m proud of? Are these things I like about myself?\u201d I think as women in general we\u2019re always taught to focus on the things we don\u2019t like about ourselves like my thighs are too big or my [breasts] are too small instead of really embracing those things as good and to love those things and be proud of them.<\/p>\n MDJ: <\/strong>It\u2019s not surface level. I think a lot of times [the perception is] really easy to talk about the body like, \u201cI\u2019m a woman and I just love myself.\u201d But sometimes you don\u2019t always love yourself and so we really took the time to explore all of that.<\/p>\n {loadposition latestlife}<\/p>\n Why do you feel that your play is necessary?<\/p>\n MDJ:<\/strong> We took a break [at a recent writing retreat] and started watching Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta.<\/em> I think that made me realize why our show is so important; seeing [programming] like that about black women in the media. [The media doesn\u2019t] have many positive portrayals and positive representations of black women. We\u2019re going super deep and also celebrating our connection. It made me realize how important what we are doing and how we\u2019re relating to one another.<\/p>\n KT: <\/strong>I have a younger sister and I definitely want to be an example\u2026[I tell her] you are beautiful just the way God made you\u2026so for me it has always been a goal to be a positive influence to younger black girls. <\/p>\n NSM: <\/strong>It\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve been on stage and speaking about something I actually feel connected to. This is not just for YouTube. We are actually trying to open up dialogue discussions about what it means to be black women pretty much with in the U.S. I like the concept of being able to get up spark a dialogue once you get off stage.<\/p>\n How will A Necessary Body<\/em> create a forum of discussion about the various topics presented in the play?<\/strong><\/p>\n KT: <\/strong>[The focus is] to uplift other women, but also to teach our men it\u2019s okay to tell a woman that she\u2019s attractive, it\u2019s not okay to objectify her. It\u2019s taking responsibility of what we will accept and what we won\u2019t accept in reference to our bodies and our being around other people.<\/p>\n MDJ: <\/strong>We\u2019re human we get stuck in routines and patterns. [Perceptions, taboo\u2019s, etc.] all come from things that have existed for a long time. We are a part of this system that has created this and we [women] have participated in some way, whether we want to or not, whether or not we acknowledge or not. It\u2019s not only that women in love and hip-hop are the problem, or men are the problem, we all are in the puzzle together.<\/p>\n NSM<\/strong>: You don\u2019t have to take other people\u2019s opinions [to heart], just keep it moving.<\/p>\n How important are female role models?<\/strong><\/p>\n MDJ: <\/strong>Women role models are important and just not women role models but sisters. If we are to celebrate women, we need to be reaching out to woman.<\/p>\n NSM:<\/strong> You have key players in different parts of your life. My friends have been most influential when it comes to the development of my character.<\/p>\n