Lives are expected to be changed and transformed when playwright Shana McCombs returns to Indianapolis to bring back her production, “Let Go! Let God!”
Scheduled for next weekend at the Pike Performing Arts center, the production is a comical play that emphasizes the downfall that can occur in a person’s life when they lack a spiritual foundation, and how their situation can change once they let go of negativity and let God guide their decisions.
“I want people to leave the play feeling God’s presence,” said McCombs. “I want them to be moved by God, and to know that whatever they are going through to let go of the situation because God has it already mapped out.”
McCombs, 23, is based in Hopkinsville, Ky., but has enjoyed visiting Indianapolis since she participated in the 2011 Circle City Classic parade, representing her alma mater as Miss Kentucky State University.
Within just three years of writing plays, McCombs has gained steady momentum in reaching her goal of releasing inspiring productions in a style similar to those penned by blockbuster director and screenwriter Tyler Perry.
McCombs was inspired to write, in part, by the sudden passing of a close high school friend, who died in her sleep from an enlarged heart.
“I realized that tomorrow is not promised us, and it woke me up to the point that I was so devastated that I started contemplating what to do with my life and started writing,” McCombs said.
She graduated from Kentucky State University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism and started McCombs Entertainment last summer, gaining attention as a multi-talented producer, director and writer.
She first presented “Let Go! Let God!” in Kentucky, then brought it to Indianapolis for a sold out show at the Athenaeum Theatre downtown in April.
McCombs wants to bring the play back for a second time for those who have not had a chance to see it.
“Our goal is to reach more people in Indianapolis and have a major impact there,” McCombs said. “This is a family based play and the message applies to everyone regardless of age, gender and class status.”
Cast members of “Let Go! Let God! are mostly students and alumni from Kentucky State University who have been performing plays with McCombs since 2010.
One of them, Edwin Simmons, is a native of Indianapolis who plays Diggy, a fatherless, 16-year-old who is active in the streets, and cannot let go of his unhappiness and questions God’s existence. His mother Sha, played by Jasmine Jones, a native of Chicago, is a bitter single parent who cannot let go of the fact that her child’s father is not around to help.
Other characters include Lynette, a mother who won’t let go of the fast paced lifestyle of “money and men,” and Jonathan, a detective whose career has reached great heights but harbors a shameful past that won’t let go of him.
Joshua Yasmin, a medical professional, is among local residents who have volunteered to help promote and support McCombs’ second Indianapolis running of the production.
“I think it is so impressive how God is using Shana and how motivating the concept of let go and let God is,” Yasmin said. “Different people in different situations will be uplifted by this. It is fun but also very powerful.”
McCombs encourages people to come out and expect God’s presence during the play. She promises to return with a sequel to “Let Go! Let God!” and update viewers on the characters.
“It will hit home and people will be able to relate, whether you or someone you know is a single parent, caught up in drugs, struggling as a teenager, dating men because of money or facing other challenges,” she said. “There are so many things people in the community are going through, but this production will help us realize that God has it and is in control.”
Get Inspired
What: Let Go! Let God
When: Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.
Where: Pike Performing Arts Center, 6701 Zionsville Road
For more information and tickets: Call (317) 210-3405 or visit mccombsentertainment.com
