‘I Don’t Like My Mama’ has heart, spiritual message

The beauty salon — your grandmother probably called it a beauty parlor — has long been a cultural hub, an unofficial source of news (or tales), and a place to get the hair “done.”

It is in this setting that Donald Thomas’ new stage play, “I Don’t Like My Mama,” unfolds.

He calls the title a “hint” of what the show is about, and yeah, he admits it’s good marketing, too. The main character Bernadine is a single mother and grandmother. Her husband and her daughter’s husband left a long time ago and she has created this generational wealth, this business.

“No one has a man, no one has a boyfriend. It’s just the three of them,” Thomas said. “They are living their lives and just navigating the drama and the trauma that comes along with it.”

Of course, “I Don’t Like My Mama” will have humor. Bernadine and her daughter and granddaughter don’t necessarily believe in dating for the sake of dating, much less in dating more than one guy at a time. However, they don’t mind being entertained by the exploits of a customer who is not from Louisiana who is happy to share details.

Of course “I Don’t Like My Mama” will have a spiritual message. That’s how Donald Thomas works.

“Everything I write is about tough conversations – with others and with yourself,” he said. “It’s easier to look through a window than at a mirror. After that tough conversation comes healing and resolution.”

Thomas is a Lake Charles native, a father of three and a grandfather of seven who has a love for writing and for bringing people together.

“It’s a way for me to minister,” he said.

For the record, Donald Thomas doesn’t like his mother. He loves her.

See “I Don’t Like My Mama” Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Event Center. Door open at 6:30. General admission tickets are available from the Event Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 337-491-1432. Earlier this week there were only 12 tickets left for the VIP social event that allows theater goers to meet the cast, enjoy a live DJ and have dinner at the Banquet Room, 2150 Opelousas St., Lake Charles before the show. Call 337-309-4790 for the $50 VIP ticket. It includes front row seating for the performance.