The Devil and His Blues by Sam Watson
Thursday, April 9th 2026
Reading begins 7:30 PM
@ The Media Fellowship House
Donation for admission, $10 suggested
About the Play
In the 1930s, Ash Vinson, a Black man desperate to prove his self-worth to God and the priest that raised him, wants to use his music to raise enough money to save his home St. Michael's Catholic Church from foreclosure. Ash's ability to play guitar is horrendous, though. So, the Black man makes a deal with the Devil to become a fantastic Blues musician in return for his soul. But when Ash's music threatens the power of the priest and ruffles the majority white community, he courts danger and unravels a murderous conspiracy from decades ago.
About the Playwright
Sam Watson is a Black, biracial, Ukrainian American writer. His identity is a patchwork of pierogies, collard greens and a whole lot of messiness. So writing about identity and the strain and expectations that society puts on people's identities is really important to him. Also, generational trauma runs deep in both sides of his family. The trauma of racism on his Black side and the trauma of war and genocide on his Ukrainian side. Writing about how trauma informs people's actions and how oppressive systems shape their identities are staples of his work.
Sam is the 2024/2023 Oscar Micheaux Prize winner and the 2023 winner of the Prime Time TV Pilot Prize (sponsored by Comcast & NBC Universal) in the Greater Philadelphia Film Office's Set in Philadelphia Contest. One of his short scripts was a winner in the Four Walls Whiskey collaboration with the team from IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. His short play “The Well at the End of the World” was performed at the Colonial Playhouse in 2023. And he also produced and cowrote a satire short called WOKE. Sam is represented by Logical Talent Management.
About the Series
The Media Arts Council (MAC) Play Reading Series was created by playwrights Julie Zaffarano, Dave Ebersole, and Keenya Jackson, in partnership with the MAC to create a space for local playwrights to hear their work read by talented actors and receive feedback from a public audience. The only regular new play reading series in the area, it brings exciting new stories to Delaware County. Playwrights, actors, and directors who are interested in being involved in the series should Dave Ebersole, Keenya Jackson, or Julie Zaffarano at macplayreadingseries20@gmail.com. Due to the limited budget for this project, we are unable to offer actors or directors a stipend through the MAC.