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"The Death of a Lie" stage play to benefit Montgomery County foster care youth

By Zack Frink

Dayton native and director Phillitia Charlton will debut in her premier stage play, “The Death of a Lie,” on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at the Dayton Art Institute. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the show begins at 2 p.m.

The stage play is a theatrical performance of a book written by Charlton of the same name and based on real events from her upbringing. “The Death of a Lie” takes audiences on a journey from Charlton’s time in foster care to her becoming unapologetic and resilient in adulthood.

“I came from a broken family,” said Charlton. “I grew up in the foster care system and was placed in seven foster homes by the age of 12. “‘The Death of a Lie’ is not just my story, it represents hope that you can heal from brokenness and childhood trauma.”

Charlton will use proceeds from the play to provide personal development programs for Montgomery County foster care youth incorporating “The Death of a Lie” curriculum and arts.

“I want to allow kids an opportunity to feel self-compassion through the arts so they can acknowledge personal trauma and start the healing process. It’s never too early to advocate for internal peace and foster resilience,” said Charlton.

Charlton has loved the theatre and performing for as long as she can remember.

“I fell in love with reading and poetry as a little girl,” she said. “When I read Maya Angelou's ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ or listened to ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf’ by Ntozake Shange, I saw a way to express my pain through writing, singing and poetry.”

Despite going through that pain and childhood trauma, it’s a special feeling for Charlton to see her work start to come full circle. She says she’s grateful to take the writings she has worked on from a young age and share them with others on the stage.

After the stage play, the former high school principal turned professional development coach wants to continue expanding on her franchise. “I’m extending my coaching services to offer workshops and training on how to take your book from the page to the stage,” said Charlton. “I also plan to take ‘The Death of a Lie’ movement to college campuses across the country encouraging students to use writing, storytelling and transparency to increase their happiness and sense of self outside of school.”

Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. General admission is $40 and student tickets are $15. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite or Theze Dealz while they last. No tickets will be sold at the door.


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