And the Winner of the 2022 BIPOC Playwrights Festival is….

Photo @ Vickie Lynell Evans

Updated June 6, 2022

The Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts is delighted to announce that Kenyatt Godbolt, author of A House is Not a Home, has won the 2022 BIPOC Playwrights Festival!

The annual festival, a collaboration between Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts and the African American Playwrights Group (AAPG), is an initiative to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Charlotte Theatre community by highlighting original works by Black & Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC).

Mr. Godbolt’s play, along with Who's That Woman in My Bed? by Crystal Joseph, and Benefit of the Doubt by Donald S. Hall were adapted into 20-minute "preview" versions that were performed as a staged reading by local actors in front of an audience on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The readings were judged by an independent panel of guest artists including African American Playwrights Group founder Vickie Evans, Dr. Corliss Hayes, Sidney Horton and Elizabeth Flax, all of whom are well known regional artists in their own right.

Kenyatt M. Godbolt, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and owner of Godbolt Consultants, PLLC. A House is Not a Home addresses the consequences of divorce by exploring the dynamics between father and son. “This play helps parents who struggle with forgiveness, and helps young people understand the importance of family, education and making good choices,” says Godbolt.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the divorce rate is higher among Black families than other Americans. “This fact of life for Blacks in America causes many of us to remain single and/or become single parents. It causes many of our children to struggle at school,” says Godbolt. “It causes too many of our children to engage in criminal activity.”

Kenyatt currently resides in Concord, NC with his wife, Crystal, and two children, Samira and Kenyatt (KJ).

A House is Not a Home will be produced as a full length show by Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts in August 2022 as part of our 2022-23 season. Performance dates for the full 2022-2023 season will soon be announced.

Click here to see more highlights from our 2nd Annual Playwrights Festival.