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