The University of St. Thomas (UST) in Houston shared a story about a former student’s film which was selected for a festival, the school reported.

Niesha Bentley, MLA ‘17, has always had a deep love for acting and she has more recently been involved in her own artistic work. 

“It’s Bentley’s screenplay writing, directing and producing that has led to her latest achievement. Her original comedy short film, ‘Menstrual Man,’ was chosen by the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival to be shown at the 2020 event,” according to the University of St. Thomas.

Bentley said that she is honored to be a part of the festival’s selection. 

“It’s exciting to have my work selected, and I’m nervous about it too. What an honor to have my film seen at the nation’s largest self-producing platform for Afro-centric theatre,” Bentley said. 

Professor Claire McDonald who teaches drama was a great help to Bentley in the process and directed her efforts to the project. 

“Professor McDonald asked what I was aiming for in my career, and I said that I aspire to direct one day. After that, she declared that I should write, direct and produce a short film. I didn’t want to, but I did it to graduate and look what’s happened,” Bentley said. 

University of St. Thomas has been an excellent selection for Bentley as it has allowed her to approach her degree without limiting her options. 

“They didn’t make me choose between technical theatre and performance. Instead, UST blends the two worlds into their program, which gave me a deeper understanding of the craft and expanded the knowledge I already had,” Bentley wrote. 

Bentley’s screenplay is an interesting one that centers around the concept of a world in which men, not women, become pregnant. 

Her project, “Menstrual Man” is a full-length feature film. 

Bentley is grateful for her opportunities at UST.