The American Theatre of Actors to Present Anne L. Thompson-Scretching’s HOME IS SWEET SORROW
The third installment of Thompson-Scretching’s ambitious “Blood Trilogy”.

The American Theatre of Actors will present the world premiere of Home Is Sweet Sorrow, the visceral new drama from the pen of celebrated African American playwright/director, Anne L. Thompson-Scretching. The production will run March 11-29, 2026, at the Sargent Theatre.

With a career spanning nearly over three decades at the ATA alone under the mentorship of Artistic Director, James Jennings, Thompson-Scretching has become a vital voice in the New York independent theater scene. A four-time Jean Dalrymple Award winner and AUDELCO nominee, her work-including the Samuel French-published You Shouldn’t Have Told-has consistently explored the intricate tapestries of the Black American experience with unflinching honesty and lyrical grace.

The Final Chapter of ‘The Blood Trilogy’
Home Is Sweet Sorrow serves as the third installment of Thompson-Scretching’s ambitious “Blood Trilogy,” an epic narrative arc following a Black American family’s journey from 1940s Georgia to the urban landscape of 1960s Brooklyn.
Set against the turbulent backdrop of 1968, the play masterfully weaves two harrowing tales of the Vietnam War:
PFC Willie Taylor: A soldier grappling with the loss of his soul amidst the violence of the jungle.
PFC Jamie Lofton: A young man destroyed by the secret, internal war he fights against prejudice.
As their mothers wage desperate battles to preserve their sons’ “honor,” the play confronts the devastating impact of PTSD and the high cost of silence.
“I find audiences want to know who strung together the words that made them see themselves-who made them cry, laugh, and who changed their minds,” says Thompson-Scretching. “This play is about the magic that happens when creative souls come together to turn a script into a masterpiece.”