Lena Waithe Sets Comedy Anthology as Next Showtime Project

Lena Waithe is prepping her next Showtime act, and the title is a mouthful. The Emmy-winning multihyphenate has received a pilot order for the comedy anthology How to Make Love to a Black Woman (Who May Be Working Through Some Sh*t).

The project, created by Casallina “Cathy” Kisakye, is the latest project to come to the pay cabler through Waithe’s first-look deal with Showtime. Kisakye, Waithe and Rishi Rajani will executive produce.

“Cathy’s script is haunting, funny, and extremely vulnerable — it’s the kind of script that doesn’t come around very often,” Waithe said Wednesday in a statement. “I’m honored that Cathy trusts me with such a special project. I can’t wait for the world to see it.”

The half-hour project, with each episode intended to contain multiple storylines, is described as a collection of characters “telling stories about connection and rejection that explore our most harrowing — and harrowingly comic — sexual secrets.”

“Working with Lena is the gift that keeps on giving,” said Showtime Networks entertainment president Gary Levine. “We signed our first-look deal with her so that she could bring authentic and talented new voices to Showtime. Cathy’s comedy is raw, relevant, surprising, sexy and fun, and we are very excited about making it.”

Should it go to series, it would be the first anthology for Showtime, which continues to ramp up its roster of original programming.

Kisakye previously worked with Waithe on her Showtime drama The Chi. The series received a strong entrance at the network, both critically and with viewers, and is set to return April 7 for its sophomore run.

Juggling her acting, writing and producing career with aggressive mentorship, Waithe has quickly gained a reputation for championing inclusivity in writers rooms and on camera.

Waithe and Kisakye are both repped by WME.