I'm Ready Productions Adds 13th Stage Play to Its Portfolio and Announces Cast of 'Je'Caryous Johnson's Marriage Material'

HOUSTON, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- I'm Ready Productions ("I'm Ready") is living up to its Texas roots and doing things big and bold. Today, the Houston headquartered, national, African-American theatre, television, feature film and music production company announced it will tour two plays simultaneously in nearly 40 markets across the U.S. through 2011. The thirteenth production that I'm Ready Executive Producers Je'Caryous Johnson and Gary Guidry will add to its impressive portfolio of critically acclaimed stage plays is Je'Caryous Johnson's Marriage Material.

Co-written and directed by Je'Caryous Johnson, Marriage Material is a romantic comedy stage play and will star:

• Allen Payne (TV sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne)
• Tank (R&B platinum recording artist)
• Jill Marie Jones (TV sitcom Girlfriends)
• T-Boz (R&B Grammy Award-winning girl group TLC)
• Michael Colyar (actor/comedian)
• Patrice Lovely (UniverSoul Circus)

Marriage Material was inspired by the popularity of character "Koren" the feisty lawyer in Je'Caryous Johnson's Cheaper to Keep Her stage play, now touring. Marriage Material is the comedic remedy to solve the age-old predicament of wondering whether "Mr. or Ms. Right" is really the perfect mate.

In Marriage Material, when couples are deciding whether they should or should not get married, there is only one retreat and two people who can deal with any issue. Armed with the Word of God, a black belt in karate and a PhD in romance, Bishop Love Jones (Michael Colyar) and his wife Beulah Mae-Bullet (Patrice Lovely) have a technique that checks attitudes at the door, and breaks you down to build your relationships back up better than before. Lawyer Koren Lyles (Jill Marie Jones) has been known to slay hearts. When her loving boyfriend Joey Harris (Allen Payne) proposes marriage and persuades her to go to Bishop and Beulah's pre-marital retreat to see if they are Marriage Material, she never expected to run into her best friend Shauna (T-Boz) there, engaged to Michael (Tank), the one man that slayed Koren's heart. The weekend turns into a whirlwind as emotions erupt, perceived friendships become tested, secrets are shouted, and old love goes to war with new love! Will they make it through this retreat or will they discover that marriage may never materialize for them?

"Being in love is something we all want, men and women. We see it in movies, TV shows, and read about it in books," shared I'm Ready Productions Executive Producer and CEO Je'Caryous Johnson. "Marriage Material is based on real-life experiences and is rooted in the biblical principles of being equally yoked and dwelling in understanding of our loved one, treating her or him as you would like to be treated, and having love and respect for one another. In these days of high divorce rates, Marriage Material encourages some old-fashioned wisdom such as never stop dating your spouse and have fun in your relationship. We're looking forward to the tour and hope everyone is blessed by the play."

Marriage Material tickets are available through Ticketmaster outlets. For group ticket sales, please call 1-800.745.3000.

About I'm Ready Productions, Inc.

Founded in 1995, I'm Ready Productions ("I'm Ready") is a national, minority owned, theatre, television, feature film and music production company based in Houston. Owned by 2007 NAACP Trailblazer award winners Je'Caryous Johnson and Gary Guidry, I'm Ready is known for its soul-stirring plays. Breaking box office records, more than two million people in over 50 cities have turned out for I'm Ready plays. From turning bestselling African-American novels into plays, to approaching Hollywood's hottest stars for its productions, I'm Ready's approach is fearless and outside-of-the-box, changing the face of American touring theatre. Visit www.imreadyproductions.com for more information.

SOURCE I'm Ready Productions, Inc.