Park Road​
While enroute to New York City brother and sister, Tiffany and Ethan, stop by their family’s former home in DC to recover the architectural plans for the structure, promised to Ethan by the new owners.  The intent is to simply retrieve the plans and be on their way, only Tiffany’s unresolved feelings about losing the house, in what she describes as a coup, prove far more serious than Ethan considered.  After meeting the new owners, Beth and William Barnett, and seeing how they’ve changed the house, Tiffany starts to come undone.  Ethan tries desperately to manage the situation and help his sister cope with their loss.  He thinks being there is an important step and will provide the closure they need. However, the pair learn it’s not easy saying goodbye.

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In 2015 I had the pleasure of collaborating with a dynamic group of performers whose vision was to bring compelling stories to audiences and deliver those stories in non-traditional formats.  Founded by Broadway actor and director DeMone Seraphin, The New American Theatre Co. NY operated out of a raw space in Brooklyn where we staged readings of contemporary and classical plays using immersive storytelling.   It was during this time that I was introduced to Split Second.  Written by Dennis McIntyre, Split Second is an explosive drama that explores the emotional and societal fallout when a respected black police officer loses his cool and in a "split second" kills a white man: a taunting, racist petty thief. 
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Dennis McIntyre wrote Split Second over 30 years ago, and the subject matter couldn't be more relevant now as racial inequality continues to threaten the increasingly fragile relationship between police and the communities they serve.  It's easy to focus solely on race, but we'd be remiss in ignoring everything surrounding it.  Racial inequality is simply the result of our individual character flaws; it's the fraying of our morals, integrity, principles, and values.  Split Second forces us to reflect on how we behave in private spaces, and what influences our choices.  Does what happens in the darkness eventually come to light?  When humans commit horrific acts, can they redeem themselves even if they don't come clean?

Split Second ran July 17-21, 2019 at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios & Theatres, 244 W 54th Street, in New York’s vibrant Theater District.  DeMone Seraphin, artistic director; the cast starred Alphonso Walker Jr. (Val Johnson), Tommy Norton (William H. Willis),  Candice Tiffany Gordon (Alea Johnson), James Foster Jr. (Rusty Johnson), Heinley Gaspard (Charlie), and Joe Loper (Parker).  Casting by Gama Valle from Harriet Bass Casting.  

​Follow us on social media @SplitSecondPlay
 
Split Second was presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company.