Marcus Gardley’s ‘The House That Will Not Stand’ Historical Play Is Being Turned Into A Feature Film

Marcus Gardley’s award-winning historical play The House That Will Not Stand is on its way to becoming a full-length feature film. As reported by Deadline, MWM Studios will be in charge of the adaptation, with Gardley writing the screenplay.  

Set in the backdrop of 1800s New Orleans, The House That Will Not Stand is inspired by Garcia Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba, which delves into the engrossing lives of free women of color who became millionaires through the common-law system of plaçage, the civil union of black Creole women and white men, and fought against racism prior to the Civil War.

The play had its initial run at the New York Stage and Film Company back in 2012. It earned Gardley the 2015 Glickman Award, and was a finalist for the 2015 Kennedy Prize based on dramas inspired by American history. This summer, it premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop. Directed by Obie Award winner Liliana Blain-Cruz, The House That Will Not Stand starred Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Juliana Canfield, Harriet D. Foy, Lynda Gravátt, Nedra McClyde, Marie Thomas and Michelle Wilson.

In addition to the play, Gardley has written for television series such as Showtime’s The Chi, Netflix’s Mindhunter, and Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything. He is currently a producer on the upcoming Apple series Foundation, which is based on Isaac Asimov’s acclaimed sci-fi trilogy.