Arts & Culture Danielle Moné Truitt Has the ‘Blues’ About Her Return to the Stage
May 11, 2023
By Keith L. Underwood
Sacramento, California’s own Danielle Moné Truitt is an actress with an array of performance credits to her name, including the BET crime-drama “Rebel,” the NBC medical-drama “Chicago Med,” and the NBC television series “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
With an enviable cache of roles in television, Truitt has a degree in theatre from Sacramento State University and still takes the opportunity to appear on stage when she can.
Truitt’s most recent stage project is “3: Black Girl Blues or “3BGB.” It is a one-woman play created, produced, and starring Truitt. It was written for the stage by Anthony D’Juan.
“3BGB” is about three friends who grew up together since the age of six in Sacramento. They are adult women who are having to face their demons and the things they’ve done in their past.
“Things they haven’t admitted to at all or have just been pushing out of the way,” said Truitt.
Truitt’s own past in the world of television acting began with John Singleton’s first ever television series, “Rebel,” on BET.
“I met John Singleton when I auditioned for a TV show called “Rebel” on BET, and I ended up booking the lead. That was my first big role,” remarked Truitt.
She remembers auditioning for what was originally formatted as a television movie. The character breakdown called for a brown-skinned Black woman from Oakland with natural hair.
“I was like, “What… This sounds just like me, brown skin, natural hair and from Northern California,” said Truitt.
Truitt recalls it as the highlight of her career, Singleton telling her she had exactly what he wanted in the character.
But after only one season and eight episodes, “Rebel” was cancelled. “I was devastated when it was cancelled,” said Truitt. “I was grateful to work with John, Giancarlo Esposito, Mykelti Williamson and Method Man… it was a beautiful moment in time for all of us.”
After “Rebel,” Truitt says she was unemployed for two years but kept auditioning. Then, almost two years later, she was cast as a guest star on Singleton’s hit FX series, “Snowfall.”
“That was literally right before John passed away. I was still shooting the episode of Snowfall when he passed and I was devastated again,” said Truitt. “John was the only person who saw my talent, who believed in me and knew what I could do.”
Truitt remembers Singleton talking to her about bringing her character back as a regular character. Unfortunately, he passed away before it happened.
“He passed away and I booked another series regular role on a television show called “Deputy” on Fox. We got cancelled because of Covid… I was unemployed again,” disclosed Truitt.
In 2020, Truitt auditioned and was cast in a recurring role on “Chicago Med.” It was this role that led to her casting as “Sgt. Bell” on “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
“The producers saw my work on Chicago Med, and they were looking for an actress to play ‘Sgt. Bell’ and I didn’t even have to audition. It literally came out of the blue,” said Truitt.
Speaking of “blue,” Truitt breaks down the three African American female characters she portrays in her one-woman play, “3: Black Girl Blues.”
All three women grew up together in an urban area of Sacramento, and their lives take very different turns. Keisha is the one of the three who stayed in the hood while the others moved away.
“She’s struggling and she has a boyfriend who had a baby with another woman, so she’s grappling with that and her own self-worth and identity,” articulated Truitt. “But she’s also a lot of fun and hilarious.”
The audience is then introduced to the second woman, Jill. Jill is a stay-at-home mom with three kids and a husband. She lives in a middle-class neighborhood and eventually finds out her husband is having an affair.
The third and final woman is Stephanie. She’s an executive at a firm and has her life together, at least on the outside. Inside, Stephanie struggles with mental illness.
“Black women are not a monolith. We are all very different even though we’re all Black,” noted Truitt. “So, in this play you get to see three different types of Black women and their experiences. The characters are very flawed and very nuanced.”
Truitt concluded by saying “3BGB” is a salute to the humanity of women.
“Everyone celebrates Black Girl Magic but the only way to truly celebrate it is through our blues,” concluded Truitt.
Danielle Moné Truitt’s one-woman play “3: Black Girl Blues” (3BGB) debuts for Los Angeles audiences during a 3-weekend intimate run at the Hudson Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.) beginning May 19.
The play is produced by CMA Entertainment and Truitt Love Productions. It is created and performed by Truitt and written by Anthony D’Juan.