Thursday, October 1, 2026
A new stage production coming to Bellmore this October will use storytelling, humor and emotion to explore the realities that can accompany a breast cancer diagnosis, including struggles that families may face behind closed doors.
“Pink Ribbons and Cognac,” a production by LaKeesha Gethers under Skyeboxx Entertainment, will be presented at the Bellmore Movies on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The play, which Gethers wrote, produced and directed, is based on the true-life experiences of two women who battled breast cancer.
“This is a true-life story of two women who battled breast cancer and at the same time battled alcoholism,” Gethers, of Hempstead, said. “So that's why it's called Pink Ribbons and Cognac.”
While breast cancer is at the center of the production, Gethers said she also wanted to address alcoholism, which she believes is often overlooked or dismissed within families.
“People may mention it, but people don't realize that it's a disease,” she said. “It's something that goes kind of unnoticed in families sometimes.”
The play also examines the emotional impact of a diagnosis and the importance of having a support system. Its premise focuses on a woman’s diagnosis, which forces her and those around her confront long-buried truths, shining a light on the importance of early detection, support, forgiveness, and hope.
Gethers said she has seen women navigate breast cancer without the support they need and hopes the production encourages audiences to recognize that they do not have to face the experience alone.
Tenise Lewis, who plays Miss Clarissa, a breast cancer coordinator at a rehabilitation center, said her character embodies that message of encouragement.
“She takes pride in encouraging and supporting the women as they navigate this sensitive, touching, emotional time in their life,” Lewis said. “She's always advocating. She's always trying to comfort and support and look at the optimistic perspective out of the situation.”
Lewis, a breast cancer advocate whose family has been affected by the disease, said the play goes beyond simply discussing diagnosis and treatment.
“We're going behind the diagnosis,” she said. “We're also focusing on the emotional, how families handle it and the different ways the survivors cope with it.”
Lewis said she hopes audiences will leave with more knowledge, empathy and an openness to conversation.
“It's beyond the diagnosis,” Lewis said. “It's beyond the pink ribbon. It's real life.”
Louis Ciccolella, who plays Dr. Benson, said his character demonstrates another side of the experience. The doctor is sympathetic toward one patient but dismissive of another, brushing aside her concerns as cramps or simply a result of getting older.
Ciccolella hopes the production encourages audience members to take their health seriously.
“It will bring more awareness to breast cancer and to maybe (encourage women) go get themselves checked out,” he said.
For Gethers, theater was the natural medium for telling the story because of the connection created between performers and a live audience. This is her second stage production. Her first, “Bruise,” focused on domestic violence.
“I just love theater because it's live,” Gethers said. “It's a true story. It's live right in front of you, and I feel people get a more connection with the characters.”
Gethers said she chose Long Island for the production in part because of her connection to the area and the number of people in the community who have been affected by breast cancer.
Doors for the Oct. 10 performance will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are available through Eventbrite by searching for “Pink Ribbons and Cognac.” The Bellmore Movies is at 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. Visit BellmoreMovie.com for more information.
