by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Stori Ayers

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

On a hot day in October, a black high school senior breaks one too many rules when she decides to seek shade under an oak tree. The tree is located in the school’s courtyard and is traditionally a gathering place for white students. The next day, racial tensions mount when a school yard fight leaves black students charged with attempted murder. In this story about opposition and unity, the students of Cedar High desperately contemplate the nature of racial bias and whether justice is truly blind while the lives of six black students hang in the balance. Inspired by true events.

Blood at the Root was commissioned by the Penn State School of Theatre, and was first produced by Penn State Centre Stage, Dan Carter, Producing Artistic Director.

The New York Premiere of Blood at the Root was produced by Penn State Centre Stage and presented by Hi-ARTS and the national Black Theatre, Inc.

“Blood at the Root” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Blood at the Root (90 minutes)
BE ADVISED: There will be lights flashing at certain points of the performance.

For more information and media coverage on the events surrounding the Jena Six, please visit the links below.

Timeline of Events

The Case of Louisiana’s ‘Jena Six.’ NPR Special Series.

“Racial demons rear heads.” Chicago Tribune.

“5 years later, Jena 6 move on.” NBC News.

Cast

Justin – Malachi Beasley
Toria – Rachael Fox
De’Andre – Christopher Portley
Asha – Daphne Kinard
Raylynn – Jada Owens
Colin – Justin Von Stein

Creative Team

Director – Stori Ayers
Scenic Designer – Efren Delgadillo Jr.
Costume Designer – Erin Barnett
Lighting Designer – Annie Garrett-Larsen
Sound Designer – Meghan Roche
Projection Designer – Omkar Purandare
Voice, Speech & Dialects Coach – Chris Corporandy
Choreographer – Kikora Franklin
Production Stage Manager – Emily Glinick*
Assistant Stage Manager – Jean E. Compton*
Properties Master- Cooper Nickels

Production Team

Master Carpenter- John Oberg
Master Electrician- Jeff Emory
Master Sound- Colin Braeger
Head Audio & Video- Graham Riggle
Head of Props- Kevin Kyser
Wardrobe Supervisor- Jaylene Ogle
Technical Director- John P. Woodey

*The noted Actors & Stage Manager are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of 

professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
**The noted designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

*Actors’ Equity Association, founded in 1913, is more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote, and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org.

Artistic Director – Andrew Borba

Managing Director – Sarah Clare Corporandy

Associate Artistic Director – Stori Ayers

Co-Company Manager – Sam Wong

Co-Company Manager – Logan McDonald

Production & Facilities Manager – Sarah Penland

Associate Production & Facilities Manager – Wayne Ogle

Arts Marketing Specialist – Makayla Santiago-Froebel

Arts Marketing Associate – Gabrielle Ghaderi

Costume Supervisor – Cece Hill

Cutter, Drapper, Stitcher – Sophie Millar

Covid Safety Specialist – Stacy McQueen

Business Manager – Liz Ellis

In one of her reflective essays written during the time of COVID the writer Zadie Smith shares that art and the creation of art at its core is really just “something to do.”

During this last year and a half of “the global humbling” as Smith calls it, the theater world was at 94% unemployment, and we were simply unable to do the something that we do.

Whether driven by the maxim “The show must go on!” or from the fear that an artist who ceases to create is like a shark who stops swimming and will die, most of us did our best to continue to work in some way. And though we learned a great deal about our art form -and about how much Zoom we could and could not bare-these efforts, though creative, often amplified the isolation we all had from one another. In the best of circumstances, we were together, alone.

As we created films, Zoom readings, cleaned the garage, reorganized the bookshelves, sent more emails than any humans should have to type and, oh yes, planned, replanned, and re-replanned seasons and scenarios trying to hit the ever-moving target of what might be possible to stage, Richard II’s 400-year-old reprimand pinged pointedly in our heads, “I’ve wasted time, and now does time waste me.” We were working, spending time doing the something that we do, why was it so unsatisfying?

Because for us, theater is something that we do together.  We do it and we share it with each other and with you the audience. As we land back on grounds, in person, and in many ways return to our roots of performances under a tent by the lake, as we awaken to a world that is inequitable and fragile, we are finally here again with “something to do.”

And even though as this is being written we may not be able to see your smiling faces from that required social distance, we return with open eyes, relief and gratitude that we can come together, share space, take stock, cry, laugh, spend time and convene with you.

Thanks so much for being here, we’ve missed you, let’s do something.

—Andrew, Sarah Clare, & Stori

Anti-Racism Action Planning Workshop

Thursdays – July 1, July 15, July 22
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Children’s School Pavilion (26 Hurst Ave, enter from Wythe Avenue)

Blood at the Root brings up key issues of race and racism in contemporary America. Audience members who feel compelled to move from dialogue to action are invited to attend an Anti-Racism Action Planning workshop with Amit Taneja, Chautauqua Institution’s inaugural Senior VP and Chief IDEA Officer (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility). Those interested in participating are asked to register for free here.

If you are unable to attend the workshop, but would like to participate in a self-paced action planning process, please visit http://www.holycross.edu/anti-racism-guidebook for a free step-by-step guidebook authored by Amit Taneja. If you have any questions, please contact Amit at ataneja@chq.org

Founded in 1994, Friends of Chautauqua Theater is dedicated to ensuring that theater remains a powerful pillar of the arts community at Chautauqua by working to enhance appreciation and engagement with the theater and the institution. Your membership supports new theater initiatives and helps us to enhance the experience of our company members through various events connections. Benefits include invitations to members-only live and virtual programming to enhance your theater experience prior to performances, and our annual “Meet the Company” event.

Visit our website to learn more!

Chautauqua Institution acknowledges the generous support provided by the following contributors in support of theater through significant annual giving and sustained endowment funds:

Nan and Brett Altman

Penny Bank

Arnold and Jill Bellowe

The Arnold and Jill Bellowe Fund for Theater

The Jill W. Bellowe Chautauqua Conservatory Theater Scholarship

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Bestor Scholarship Fund

The Frances Black Scholarship Fund

Bratton Theater Endowment Fund

The Nancy E. Brewer Fund for Theater

The Charles and Ethel Brody Theater Scholarship

The Andrew L. and Gayle Shaw Camden Fund for Theater Arts

CHQ - Honoring Pierre Levefre

Chautauqua Theater Fund

The Chautauqua Theater Scholarship

Bill and Chloe Cornell Scholarship

Court Family Endowment

Irene Cramer and Steven Goldberg

The Crockett Family Fund for Theater

Crowder Family Theater Award

The Agnes H. and Hal A. Fausnaugh Fund for Theater Programming

The Agnes H. and Hal A. Fausnaugh Chautauqua Conservatory Theater Scholarship

Glendorn Foundation Scholarship Fund

The Roe Green Foundation

Terrie Vaile Hauck Theater Endowment

Elke Kieserling Hoppe Scholarship

Barbara and Joel Jacob Theater Scholarship

The Joel and Barbara Jacob and M. Jacob and Sons Fund for Theater

The Kuhn Family Theater Scholarship

The Robert McClure Scholarship

The William E. Miller, Jr. Theater Scholarship

Helen Moe Fund for Theater

The Florence and Cynthia Norton Fund for Theater

The I. Hale and Judy Oliver Fund for Bratton Theater

The Phoebe Wagner Ott Theater Fund

Susie and Rick Rieser

The Susan and John Turben Fund for Bratton Theater

Tustin Memorial Fund

The Sybil and Stuart Willen Fund for Bratton Theater