CYCLES To Be Presented In July At Chain Theatre Summer One-Act Festival

Fresh off its powerful debut, Cycles—a new play by Shakerria Breonie and directed by Candaceia Charles—continues its run as an Equity Approved Showcase in Chain Theatre’s 2025 Summer One-Act Festival (Program #3). With just two performances left on July 17 at 6:30 p.m. and July 19 at 5 p.m., audiences still have a chance to experience this raw, time-jumping drama about love, secrets, and breaking generational patterns live.

The production stars Shakerria Breonie Henderson*, Malissa Y. Myers, Colin Pieters, Skyler James Bailey, and Anayah Cobbler. (*Actors appearing courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association.)

“Cycles was born from silence and fantasy during a time I lost myself; though I didn’t recognize my writing as healing work at the time, later conversations with women in my family would reveal that I wasn’t alone in my experience.The patterns we carry– the ones passed down like a quiet inheritance– feel almost like a rite of passage. This play arose from my desire to name those patterns, hold them and imagine what it would mean to rewrite them. Cycles is deeply personal, but I believe it speaks to anyone who’s ever wondered if breaking a generational pattern is truly possible– and what it costs to choose love.”

— Shakerria Breonie

Cycles follows two relationships, decades apart, as they reveal how love and loss often repeat across generations. A young woman must confront the emotional legacies passed down by her parents and find the strength to forge her own path. The play asks whether we are doomed to inherit our family's emotional blueprints—or whether love can truly break the chain.

The creative team includes lighting design by Crys Clemente Pascale and sound design by LeRoi Richardson. The production is stage managed by Chris James.