“Your first thing is your very personal thing.”
That realization became the foundation for Frederick screenwriter, actress and content creator Shantel Smith’s debut television pilot, Black Sheep. The independent comedy-drama, which premiered this month at New Spire Arts, transforms Smith’s own experiences, questions about faith and personal loss into a story about belonging, identity and finding purpose in unexpected places.
The premiere drew attendees from across the DMV, bringing together filmmakers, social media influencers, content creators and supporters to celebrate a project years in the making. For Smith, however, Black Sheep represents what it means to choose to create opportunities instead of waiting for them.
“It became clear to me the industry is oversaturated and sometimes I felt like I was knocking on a door I couldn’t find or a ceiling I just really couldn’t break,” Smith said. Encouraged by advice from actress Yvette Nicole Brown to create her own path and inspired by actor Jason Alexander’s belief that performers should produce their own work, Smith decided to stop waiting for permission. “I just got tired of waiting,” she said. “I got tired of waiting for someone to tell me yes, we want you. Yes, you’re perfect for this role. Yes, you are good enough.” After years of creating viral comedy sketches online, she sat down to write. “The characters were in the room with me.”
The result is Black Sheep, a pilot centered on a woman stepping into her first day as pastor of an unconventional church while privately carrying the grief of losing her mother. As she races to make it to Sunday service, she encounters an eccentric congregation, uncomfortable moments of racial insensitivity, complicated relationships with two men connected to her late mother and an internal struggle over who she is expected to be. Blending humor with emotional vulnerability, the story culminates in a surreal hallucination that leaves viewers questioning the boundaries between faith, pressure and personal healing. Throughout the pilot, themes of belonging, loss and authenticity remain at the forefront.
The project was truly a collaborative effort. Smith’s husband, Jason Francis, helped produce and support the pilot throughout its development, while one of her seminary classmates collaborated on the script. The cast features actors including Heidi Hackney and Dayandra de Miranda Leão, alongside several Frederick-area performers, reinforcing Smith’s commitment to showcasing local talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Smith is preparing to pitch Black Sheep to executives at CBS, FX and Peacock. Whether or not the series ultimately finds a network home, the pilot stands as an example of what can happen when independent creators invest in their own stories instead of waiting for someone else to say yes. Follow Shantel’s creative journey on Instagram to support Blavk Sheep and more.
Photography Credit: Marie Rose Creative Co.