Atlanta playwright celebrates hometown debut of "Benediction" at SheATL festival

An Atlanta playwright is bringing her work to the stage as part of the SheATL Summer Theater Festival.

Beverley Sylvester's play, "Benediction," follows a group of women during a night out in Paris. Sylvester describes it as an absurdist play exploring friendship, religion, free will and personal agency.

Sylvester said being selected for the festival was especially meaningful after she repeatedly submitted her work for different opportunities.

"I think part of the gig is you just get a lot of rejections, and that's fine and normal," Sylvester said. "But then anytime there's a 'Hey, we have good news' email, it's like, 'Oh my God.' … Absolutely thrilling."

The production also marks a milestone for Sylvester, who grew up in the Atlanta area, attended Emory University and now works at Georgia Tech. She has seen "Benediction" presented in staged readings, but the SheATL show will be the play's first full production outside of her college work.

Dominique Wilson is among the actors bringing the story to life. She plays Josephine. Before pursuing acting, Wilson played professional basketball overseas.

Wilson said people repeatedly encouraged her to try acting when she returned home from playing basketball. She eventually decided to take a class.

"I caught the bug, and I was like, 'Well, huh, I guess I'm going down this journey,'" Wilson said. "And I've realized that I love acting more than basketball."

Wilson said her transition from basketball to acting connects with one of the questions at the center of "Benediction": Do people allow fate to control their lives, or do they take an active role in deciding what they want?

For Sylvester, seeing the play reach the stage in her hometown is also an opportunity to showcase Atlanta's theater community.

"I think Atlanta is full of incredible, talented, interesting, intelligent people that are doing really, really exciting work," Sylvester said.