Sipping on a fresh brewed pot of black coffee while skimming through Yahoo! news and dishing on the latest gossip are a few things you can expect to find in any coffee shop. So it’s no surprise that this mid-morning ritual was the inspiration for a new stage play that is making its way to Houston.

Shaneisha Dodson

The Coffee Shop is a new stage play written, produced and directed by Shaneisha Dodson. Dodson is the owner of Black Girlz Productions, the production company behind the play. The Coffee Shop centers around Ms. Carla, who owns the coffee shop, her employee Robin, and the tumultuous tale of sexual assault.

This is the third play that Dodson has produced, and opening night for The Coffee Shop is in Houston at MATCH on Saturday, Jan. 7. Recently, I caught up with Dodson to discuss the play and what people can expect when they see it.

What made you decide to start your production company, Black Girlz Productions?
Well I’ve always been a writer, and one morning I woke up and said I wanted to see my words come to life. So that’s when I started my production company.

What kind of topics have you written about the most?
I like to write about social issues, as well as things that make people laugh and feel good. So it can be urban, nonfiction or things dealing with social issues.

I know that The Coffee Shop focuses on sexual assault. What can people expect when they see the play?
You can expect to laugh, and you can expect to cry. It’s something that a lot of people don’t like to discuss, but when it’s right in your face, it makes you think about these issues.

I know you have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling. How does your education influence your writing style and the things you like to write about?
Having a background in psychology makes it easy for me to write my characters and for character development. So, as I’m writing, I’m becoming these people and I’m behaving like them. So it helps with character development.

Tickets to see The Coffee Shop are available here.

MATCH | 3400 Main, Houston, TX 77002 | Matchhouston.org