Biography
Monique Teagle, Philadelphia native has been tried and tested by the streets, and she bears the battle scars as proof. Her mother's speak-easy and assorted hustles forced her to learn survival. Strangers passed through her house during the night when she only wanted to sleep. Omar, Monique's staunch guardian, spent nights on the floor between the door and her bed to prevent drunken men from entering. Catherine's youngest sister, Monique's aunt, was shot five times at point blank range, leaving behind two sons whom Catherine took in and raised as her own. This brought the number of children in the household to eleven. Being the only girl raised with 10 boys - six brothers and four cousins - she was exposed to what average teenage girls her age couldn't imagine. Monique would send herself straight to school - majority of the times without breakfast and without being sent off by Mom. Yet, she still managed to participate at school in basketball, in track, in volleyball, and in orchestra as a violinist. Southern High School graduated her in 1996.
Like rocks thrown into a lake, the ripples created from the choices her mother and brother made washed over Monique at various times in her life. With her mother's strength pumping through her veins, she pulled herself up after being repeatedly knocked down. Abusive marriage - she survived one. She married her first love, the father of her son. For the safety of her child, she had to leave that marriage. Having to move back into her mother's home, after having lived for years on her own, proved to be a humbling experience. Strong work ethic - Monique has it. She worked double shifts - logging 40 hours in 3 days - and saved her funds to change her situation. Sleep? Rarely did it. Managing two hospital jobs, she cleared her credit and purchased a new house and new car.
For years, the two fast-paced, no excuses jobs she maintained with inadequate rest took their toll on her body. Illnesses - she suffered several. Bills piled up. She was at risk of losing her home. Even after all this came another blow from her ex-husband. She survived him once more in 2016... when he was murdered. She had to face her son and tell him his father, whom he was just beginning to know, was no longer living. She hid the massive pain each day from her son in order for him to be strong.
Reflecting on her circumstances landed her at one conclusion: she could use these setbacks as an opportunity doing what she loves to do. She chose to channel her energies into achieving her life's dream - becoming an entrepreneur. So she made her own way. Monique had something within her - a gift that she honed at school: writing. It became an outlet for what she witnessed at home, what she actually lived. She began her craft with short plays in elementary and junior high schools. From there, she created songs and poems and later added novels to her works. Now, screenplays and teleplays are in her sights. Does she hail from a two-year college? Does her bachelor's degree hang above her desk? Is she drafting for a creative writing course? No indeed.
Monique is a self-taught artist. With her high school diploma, business certificate and raw talent, she is building the foundation of her dreams brick by brick. Her son is her motivation, and as a single mother, she is teaching him to use adversity as fuel to develop his passions and make his mark on the world.
Not only is Monique working to inspire her child, but other single mothers who thirst to be their own bosses. As her dreams of owning Teagle Productions LLC materialize, she endeavors to set up its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where her story began. Her company targets college graduates who want to obtain careers in the film industry. The company has a branch called S.M.O.T.S. Funding, which is a non-profit organization that supports single mothers who, like Monique, are pursuing entrepreneurship.
Monique Teagle (teleplay) "Broadz Way" premiered at the Ritz East Theater, downtown Philadelphia August 2017 and was a success. Ms. Teagle newest family/drama series "Strong Black Coffee" premieres February 2019 at the Ritz East Theater.
