LESLIE BANKHEAD SMITH On many occasions during her childhood, local resident Leslie Bankhead Smith would see her dreams of being able to go out with friends shattered after being told by her parents that it was not in her best interest.

"I lived a sheltered life as a child," Smith said. "Being the child of a preacher, I did not get to do a lot of the things a lot of children would get to do because I did not get out of the house much."

Now many years removed, Smith believes the sacrifice was worth it. Following the deaths of a few of the friends who asked her to join them, she has written a play to illustrate to the masses that some decisions are worth the pain. Smith will present her play "All Of Me For It All" on June 7 at Gaffney High School.

Bringing in actors from a number of talent agencies, the playwright hopes to illustrate that people young and old are forced to make sacrifices.

"Long ago we can recall that God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son who in turn gave His life so all of us could live," Smith said. "In the course of life, there are choices that one can take and with every decision there is a sacrifice.

"In this play, we see that no matter the obstacles we are faced with, the decision we make could change or interrupt the course that God has initially planned for us."

Smith originally wrote the 3-act production in 1993, but chose to wait to deliver it to audiences across the state.

"It started with a dream in which I saw people struggle with relationships, work and the other daily issues we all go through," Smith said. "I put it on paper and finished it in 1993. But it took me years to bring it to audiences, as after seeing plays by Tyler Perry I believed there are things people definitely should know about."

Smith said she has performed skits and small pieces of the production at churches in the area. The writer, director and producer has also taken the play to Chester County's Little Theatre and the McKelvey Center in York County where she received rave reviews.

"While there may have been just 100 people in the audience, it amazed me how into the show they were and how much they loved it," Smith said. "One of the people in the audience told me he had not stepped foot in a church for many years but would begin going back after seeing the play. I would rather see people inspired rather than me earn money off of it."

The playwright hopes in the future to make a living on Broadway, but first wants to make a difference in the community.

"I hope that people will see themselves in these characters and inspire them to make sacrifices that may help them as well as others," Smith said.