Diamond To Jade By Tj Armand, Performed By Darlene Van Alstyne

Diamond to Jade is a searingly funny and unapologetically raw one-act solo play written by TJ Armand and performed by Darlene Van Alstyne. Set against the backdrop of a COVID-19 lockdown in New York City, the story follows Jade—a complicated, African-American, queer CEO unraveling on her 50th birthday after being tasked with firing 200 employees via Zoom. Surrounded by UPS boxes filled with relics from her past, Jade spirals into a scathing, hilarious, and heartbreaking therapy session that lays bare the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, capitalism, and grief. What begins as a therapy call turns into a revelatory monologue—filled with biting satire, cultural commentary, and moments of gut-wrenching vulnerability. Through a tour of pop culture relics, ex-girlfriends, high school trauma, PR war stories, and a long-lost love, Diamond to Jade becomes a meditation on memory, survival, and reinvention in a world that prizes youth, perfection, and performance. The play features original music specifically written for the play as a companion soundtrack - including a song written by Armand, Van Alstyne and Carl Wallace entitled "Diamond To Jade." The interactive monologue, an obsession with the (fictional) girl band Abadilé, and various multimedia elements, create a uniquely intimate theatrical experience. The piece is a love letter to queer resilience and a fierce critique of corporate culture—and the perfect vehicle for Provincetown's powerhouse performer Darlene Van Alstyne.