Roseland playwright and H-F Chronicle feature writer Lolita M. Cusic’s collection of 10-minute plays, “South Side Stories,” will be staged at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Morgan Park Academy Theatre, 2153 W. 111th St.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Seeing it all come together has brought me so much joy,” Cusic said “The cast has captured the tone and nuances of their characters so beautifully. I am very proud of them.”

Homewood actor Rita Wicks is in the cast, which also includes Shannon Lindsey-Finney. Dwayne Hayden and Chandra Smartt-Spencer jumped right in and got to work with cast members Ashley Coney, Phillip Cusic, Tremayne Hall, Sharissa O’Connor, Stacey Thigpen and Joshua Williams.

Cusic first began working on the project in early 2020, but rehearsals came to a halt when COVID-19 began spreading around the country and the world. It was a scary, sad and sobering time, Cusic said.

But five years later, Cusic pulled the cast back together and started work on the project again.

“Working on ‘South Side Stories’ has reminded me of how much I love doing this. I’ve taken this leap of faith and now I can’t wait to work on more projects,” Cusic said.

Cusic credited the support of her husband Phillip, her family, her friends and her church.

“Phillip has always believed in me. He encouraged me to invest in myself and to not wait around for someone else to validate me. That meant the world to me and gave me the confidence to go forward with ‘South Side Stories,’” Cusic said.

Her young adult children, Sydney, Phillip and Jeffery have also pitched in as has her friend and mentor Kemati Porter and musician, composer and director Bryan Johnson.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite using this link. For more information, call 312-547-9366.