Welcome to this Journey.
In July 2021, Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis commissioned me to write a full-length artistic piece based on the prompt “imagine a u.s. without racism.” I embarked on a journey through zoom windows and cell phones, interviewing 100 people across the United States. This blog captures some of the thoughts and ideas I encountered along the way. The play, inspired by the interviews, will be produced in April 2022, at Mixed Blood.
Who are the interviewees?
The interviewees, two per state, span the political spectrum, range in age from 16 to 85, come from a diversity of racial, ethnic and gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, geographic locations, and occupations. Majority of the people were strangers to me. I reached out to friends and acquaintances and asked them to connect me with friends and acquaintances from their lives, and then they connected me with others. The interviewees have been generous with their time and have shared deeply personal experiences and interesting philosophies and ideas. They were given the option to be anonymous or to be acknowledged as a group in an alphabetical list by last name. That list will be shared when we get closer to the production of the play.
3/13/22 update: you may find the list of interviewees here, and the list of folks who helped me find interviewees here.
The play!
The play, imagine a u.s. without racism, will begin preview performances on April 8, 2022 and officially open April 13 with performances through May 1. It is 90 minutes in length, no intermission.
All performances are in Mixed Blood’s Alan Page Auditorium, 1501 South Fourth Street on the West Bank in Minneapolis. Practicing Radical Hospitality, admission is without cost, but reservations are recommended. More details will be provided as we get closer to the production.
Update 3/20/22: You may find information on the world premiere production here.