"What’s Done In The Dark" at Mercy Hospital was exposed on the stage of Thalia Mara Hall, Friday night October 5, 2007 before a packed house during the first Jackson, Mississippi performance.

Tyler Perry’s hilariously funny stage play set the crowd on fire with one-liners that resonated the culture and dialect of the Southern vernacular in ways few artisans can deliver. The dialogue characterized the everyday conversations of African Americans that can only be understood from an intra-cultural perspective making it even funnier as the actors spoke the words of sentences frequently finished by the audience.

Perry brought to life characters that are ingrained in the social fabric of the African American persona that are so familiar giving a birds-eye view into the most intimate and delicate details of secrets that include cheating husbands, deadbeat dads, infidelity, single parenthood, unrequited love, abounding faith in God and the perseverance of Black women.

The music captured the emotions of everyday life through comedic metaphors that made serious subjects more palatable when presented through characters that the audience could identify with in scene after scene. Familiar characters such as Mr. Brown and Cora lead a stellar cast creating a bond between the audience and actors that lead to frequent sing-along sessions and the completion of lines out loud by the audience. Great music permeated throughout the production that really got the crowd in touch with the sentiments of the monologues because most of the songs were R & B and Gospel standards that most Black folks utilize in our rituals and ceremonies such as weddings and birthday parties. The subject matter ran the gamut from serious medical issues that require taking a loved-one to the doctor to exposing cheaters and deadbeat dads. According to one attendee, Ms. Sharon Chenier, a recent Louisiana transplant, "I couldn’t stop laughing throughout the entire play, I laughed so hard until my jaws started to hurt." She also remarked, " this was the best entertainment weekend outing I’ve had since I moved to Jackson."

The cast received standing ovations that lasted more than the usual few moments. Mr. Perry spoke to the audience via a performance trailer on video thanking everyone for their attendance and support. He also gave the Jackson, Mississippi audience a preview of his upcoming movie "Why I Got Married" that will debut October 12, 2007 in most major cities including Jackson.

On a personal note, Jackson native and Murrah High/APAC graduate Michael Burton, internationally acclaimed Jazz musician is a member of Tyler Perry’s touring band for the last 2-½ years. He is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Otha Burton. His mother, Anne Burton, president of the Mississippi Jazz Foundation told this reporter that Michael Burton & Kirk Whalum will perform at the Alamo Theater in December.

In a recent interview Perry said, "I have been offered tons of money to take my work into the same direction that we see African Americans depicted in Hip Hop videos that degrade Black women and men destroying the essence of our culture that we once valued and utilized as a defense mechanism to help us as a race to overcome adversity. I want my work to always speak to grace and forgiveness among people. These type characters and depictions of art imitating life as lived by African Americans today and yesterday will always be apart of my work."

The audience was filled with mothers and daughters, sons and fathers, couples, friends, coworkers, lovers, companions, teens, young adults and grandparents that were reflective of the interest that a Tyler Perry play has become famous for since his first theatrical debut.