Friday Feature: Sheree L. Ross
Sheree L. Ross is an award winning screenwriter and director, born in the Midwest, with deep southern roots. She is Black, female, queer…and her stories often reflect the strong, flawed nature of Black southern queer folx, whether through action, drama, mystery or comedy. Sheree was one of the co-writer's for the Audible narrative drama, Loops, starring Vivica A. Fox, produced by Migrante Media. Her romantic comedy Accidental Hearts won the Austin Short Film Festival and was a quarter-finalist for The Page International Awards. Her original pilot Kingdom, was a Second Round finalist at the Austin Film Festival and her action adventure feature Dr. Frankenstein: The Black Diamond of Bamileke, was a quarter-finalist for Fresh Voices Screenwriting Contest. Sheree has also written three metaphysical books, and is the founder of the popular social media platform Women Filmmakers of Color @womenfilmofcolr. Her most recent work, a play, Two Million Years of Rain, was a semifinalist in The Austin Playhouse’s 2026 Festival of New Texas Plays.
TWO MILLION YEARS OF RAIN
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
Breanna, 38 - Desperate to prove her worth.
Angel, 34 - Very ambitious and unconcerned with the past.
THE FRIENDS
Jas, 38 - Along for the ride, unless she feels ignored.
Imani, 38 - Mothering to almost smothering.
Makena, 38 - Codependent to her wife, and her friends.
Karma, 38 - Life of the party, clueless to the impact of
her actions.
THE STRANGER
Octavia Smith, 60's - Famous author. Sometimes oracle.
THE STORM
The beginning of the next two million years of non-stop rain, though no one knows that yet. It is relentless and is heard throughout. It creates tension and is unsettling as it does its best to blow down the walls of this house and its occupants.
ACT ONE
A NOTE: A video display: BREANNA and ANGEL on their social media account, The Happily Married Lezzies, with five million followers. The video shows how happy they are as a couple, their glamorous travels, enviable brand campaigns, and their life at home. This will run until the curtain rises to...
SCENE ONE
A BANG of thunder, flashes of lightning, and rain coming down in buckets. Breanna struggles to wrestle out an oversized suitcase from the trunk. Angel impatiently looks on, holding an umbrella.
Eventually...
ANGEL
(over the loudness of the storm)
Move. Let me try!
Breanna does not move, so now the both of them are trying.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
(frustrated)
Forget it!
Angel slams the trunk shut and exits the stage opposite Breanna.
SCENE TWO
A gust of wind enters with Angel, Breanna is not far behind. They work together to shut the door, then immediately start to strip, moving towards the kitchen. Angel holds on to her clothes as she disrobes, Breanna drops her wet clothes where they lay.
ANGEL
(picking up behind Breanna)
Not on our new teak floors!
SCENE THREE
They enter the kitchen. The storm in here seems louder and even more menacing. Angel puts on the kettle, then goes offstage. She returns with fresh towels. They wrap in the towels as Angel pours them both cups of tea.
ANGEL
(sipping tea)
You okay?
BREANNA
(off somewhere in your mind)
Oh, sorry. Yeah. I'm just...exhausted.
ANGEL
Your flight was delayed...
BREANNA
...five hours.
ANGEL
I'm just happy you're home. (still probing) I missed you.
Did you get our agent's schedule?
BREANNA
(taking a sip)
Yes.
ANGEL
You sure you're okay?
BREANNA
It's late.
ANGEL
(annoyed)
It's 7:30. We don't go to bed mad. What's got into you? Work?
BREANNA
No...
ANGEL
(alarmed)
Is your mom okay?
BREANNA
Oh, she's fine.
ANGEL
Okay, I'm all out of guesses.
Breanna hesitates then moves to the other side of the island, putting it between them.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
Ooo...it must be serious.
BREANNA
Um. Karma told me something.
ANGEL
Oh?
BREANNA
About a little secret of yours.
ANGEL
Okay?
BREANNA
A secret that could ruin everything we've worked so hard to create.
ANGEL
Tell me!
BREANNA
She says you were sleeping with your ex the whole year we
were engaged.
ANGEL
(hiding relief)
Oh.
A huge clap of thunder scares them both.
BREANNA
Oh? That's all you have to say?
ANGEL
I never lied to you about it...directly.
BREANNA
So, you lied indirectly...for years.
ANGEL
You and I got married. I stopped sleeping with her. Done.
What difference does it make, now?
BREANNA
What difference does it make, now? We've built an entire
empire on us being “The Happily Married Lezzies".
You don't think that little revelation isn't important?
ANGEL
We weren't even married.
BREANNA
Yeah, but sleeping with your ex the whole time we were
making money off of our "perfect engagement" isn't great.
ANGEL
People won't care.
BREANNA
I care!
Angel heads off stage to the perceived laundry room. You hear her starting the dryer.
BREANNA (CONT'D)
(shouts after Angel so she can hear)
Brand partners care! You slept with somebody you swore broke
your heart! Was it worth possibly breaking mine?
ANGEL
(O.S.)
That! I didn't want to hurt you.
BREANNA
Come on, Angel, be serious.
ANGEL
(O.S.)
It happened. I regretted it.
BREANNA
(getting angry)
Regretted it?
Angel returns to the kitchen.
ANGEL
Regret it. (pause) If I had told you...it would have hurt in
the moment. But you knew how much I loved you...love you.
Would it have really made a difference?
BREANNA
Of course. I could have processed it. We could have run some
kind of PR around it.
ANGEL
Do you ever think about anything without a business angle?
(annoyed) Process....PR...
BREANNA
It's how we make our living.
ANGEL
But it's not. We both have other businesses.
BREANNA
(on reflection)
It's how we've made our lives.
Neither of them knows what to say to that.
ANGEL
You and Jas were sleeping together while we were engaged.
BREANNA
But you knew that.
ANGEL
You didn't try to PR that...
BREANNA
Hmmm. Why'd you do it?
ANGEL
(enough)
I don't know.
BREANNA
By the way, it's called ethical non-monogamy.
ANGEL
What is?
BREANNA
What we agreed to be, before we got married...it's called
ethical...non-monogamy.
ANGEL
(sarcastic)
Sooo sexy.
BREANNA
Open communication...consent by parties...not lying by omission.
Angel pours more tea and goes into the living room. She wraps herself in a blanket, clearly frustrated.
Breanna follows.
SCENE FOUR
BREANNA
It may be in the past, but for now it's making me really
upset. There is something about this night...something in
our Universe has been disturbed.
ANGEL
Well, that's ominous.
BREANNA
And this storm isn't helping. What is that Shakespeare
saying? "By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes."
There is a big BANG of thunder and the lights flicker.
ANGEL
Stop it. You're scaring me.
BREANNA
How did she know, anyway?
ANGEL
Who?
BREANNA
Karma.
ANGEL
I really don't remember. Best guess, since she is your best
friend, maybe I needed some advice.
BREANNA
Some best friend.
ANGEL
Well. You didn't marry Miss Perfect. You married me.
BREANNA
(mellowing)
I did.
ANGEL
And I didn't marry Miss Perfect, either...
BREANNA
My father would agree with you on that.
ANGEL
Please stop blaming him for everything that disappoints you
in your life. It's not a good look. Who cares how we got
here. (sassy) We're here, baby!
BREANNA
I need a drink. You want one?
ANGEL
Sure.
Breanna pours them a stiff drink from the bar cart. Angel joins her.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
Remember our trip to Italy?
BREANNA
I thought you didn't dwell in the past.
ANGEL
I thought you'd enjoy this stumble back in time.
BREANNA
(holding up your glass)
Cheers!
They clink glasses together, standing close, and take a drink.
ANGEL
We had a glorious time.
BREANNA
It was paid for in full by Virgin Airlines as part of a
promotional. And I think we got 100,000 new followers from that trip.
ANGEL
We did look amazing in that campaign.
There is sexual tension growing between them.
BREANNA
We did.
ANGEL
There was that one night, we had been dressed by Louis
Vuitton, given box seats to La Boheme at La Scala.
Then we had chef's table seating at Seta.
BREANNA
(happily remembering)
And had Michelin Star Italian decadence. Mmmm...
ANGEL
After, we decided to ditch the photo crew...
BREANNA
We slipped into this bar.
ANGEL
I can't even remember the name.
BREANNA
It was perfectly dark and seedy.
ANGEL
Yes. I said to you, ''drinks are on me!”
BREANNA
And drink we did.
ANGEL
Whew. Yes. Anyway, I got out my purse, looked
inside...and...no wallet.
BREANNA
Noooo...wallet.
They stay close but the temperature has cooled a bit between them.
ANGEL
I thought it had been stolen.
BREANNA
I remember how upset you were.
ANGEL
You paid, graciously.
BREANNA
I did.
ANGEL
Here I was trying to do something special for my beloved,
who treats me like the queen that I am, and I had no money
to pay for it.
BREANNA
I remember.
ANGEL
So after you paid, the photo crew caught up with us but we
begged off. We wanted to get back to the hotel and file a
police report. When we entered our hotel room...there...on
the bed, was...my wallet.
BREANNA
You had changed purses and forgotten to take it.
They stand apart. A different tension surrounds them.
ANGEL
I had changed my purse. I laughed...as much out of relief as
anything. And I said, let's go down to the bar...drinks on
me...for real this time. And you said...
BREANNA
I have a headache. Go without me.
ANGEL
Yes, you did.
BREANNA
I did have a headache.
ANGEL
And I...went...without you. Had a wonderful time. Very cute
girl at the bar...
BREANNA
I remember. The photo crew remembers, too. It cost us a
pretty penny to spin those photos.
ANGEL
But she was so cute and quite delicious. (pause) It was
petty. I see that now.
BREANNA
It's just how you communicate when you get upset. You turn
your affections to someone else.
ANGEL
You say that in the present tense?
BREANNA
If the shoe fits...
ANGEL
So, you still haven't really forgiven me for that night.
BREANNA
(downing rest of drink)
I thought you said...you didn't like to
dwell...(exasperated) besides, we've been over this in
therapy...
ANGEL
Well, I'm sorry it hurt you. (pause) I do love you, you know.
BREANNA
You frustrate me.
ANGEL
(fishing)
And, I love you.
BREANNA
(giving in)
I love you, too
A thunderous clap!
BREANNA (CONT'D)
(standing)
I'm gonna to go stay at my sister's when the rain lets up. I
already called Jenta and let her know.
ANGEL
(seriously?)
Really? You told Jenta...our manager, before you told me?
BREANNA
Business, before pleasure, my dear.
ANGEL
Did you call Jas and let her know, too?
BREANNA
Why would I do that?
ANGEL
She is our accountant. Did you call our lawyer, Saja? Our
pool person, Matt?
BREANNA
Funny...
ANGEL
And you wonder why I don't tell you things.
The rain is very loud.
BREANNA
(worried)
It's really coming down out there.
Breanna goes over and turns on the radio, looking for the weather channel. After a few staticky turns, Mary J. Bilge - Be Without You, comes on.
ANGEL
Baby...baby...stop, it's our song!
BREANNA
(nonplused)
Yeah.
Breanna moves past it.
ANGEL
No...go back.
Angel goes over and puts her arms around Breanna, from behind. Breanna moves away from the embrace. Angel fiddles with the dials and gets it back to the song which she turns up and begins to sing to Breanna.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
Come on, dance with me. "...and I can't live without you, baby...."
Breanna dances stiffly as Angel takes her hand. Breanna gives in a little. They start to sway back-and-forth, then Angel starts to sing again.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
(not thinking about the lyrics)
"...but I wanna ask you...would you lie...make me cry...do
somethin' behind my back and then try and cover it up...?"
Breanna pushes away. Angel turns down the radio.
ANGEL (CONT'D)
(finally hearing the lyrics)
Huh...maybe we need a new song.
Car lights appear in the large window. The couple doesn't notice. Hot lightning fills the windows followed by a thunderous BOOM. The lights go out.
BREANNA
Shit.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
BREANNA (CONT'D)
SHIT!
Breanna grabs a bat that is by the coat rack.
ANGEL
Who could be knocking at our door...in this storm?
Angel comes up behind her, a large flashlight now in hand.
BREANNA
This cannot be good.
###
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