HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
THEATER
Powerful One-Woman Play "Peculiar Patriot" sets tone for NBT's 49th Season "Black to the Future" By Maria Grazia CAVENAGHI
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to dismantle this sick system if you were in charge? “Dismantling this modern-day system of slavery can’t possibly be wrapped up in a single “this is what you do” answer. However, you can start by dismantling white supremacy, decolonizing education, ending cash bail, eliminating for-profit prisons, investing in communities ravaged by mass incarceration and creating more employment/career opportunities. We have to imagine something radically different and not try to “fix” a mammoth problem entrenched in the psyche and fabric of this country.”
The multimedia performance (set and lights by Mauriti Evans, sound by Luqman Brown, projections by Katherine Freer) takes place in a prison where the protagonist Betsy La Quanda Ross, a self-proclaimed Peculiar Patriot, regularly visits her incarcerated friend Jo Jo to boost her morale.
Sharing neighborhood updates and reminiscing about family and friends, ‘Betsy delivers a shrewd indictment of the criminal justice system in her own authentic and inimitable style, with a heavy dose of humor to boot.’ Peterson - a renowned actress, poet, playwright, educator
and activist- was recently featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary The 13th. Her brilliant performance sets the tone for NBT’s 49th Season titled ‘Black to The Future, a season dedicated to “looking at the legacy, tools, healing, and love needed to push this community, society, and humanity forward. To become the alchemist of our own destiny... we have to manifest the future we want to have now. That is what we are doing at NBT all season long, laying the foundation for radical change,” said Jonathan McCrory, NBT’s Artistic Director. “This season we will continue to tackle the dis-
mantling of America’s prison industrial complex, but from the perspective of the Black woman in an effort to heal our women, communities and the nation at large.” added NBT’s CEO Sade Lythcott.
Harlem Community Newspapers | September 28. 2017
r. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre (NBT) in partnership with Hi-ARTS (Executive Director Raymond Codrington) opened on September 17 NBT’s new season with the world premiere of The Peculiar Patriot. This witty one-woman show, written and performed by Liza Jessie Peterson and directed by Talvin Wilks is set to run through October 1st. It is a must-see comedic yet tragic show that paints a crude but realistic portrait of mass incarceration in the US. It is based on Peterson’s 20-year personal experience working and performing in more than 35 penitentiaries across the country. With more than 2.5 million people behind bars, America is the world’s leading prison superpower. When I asked what made her embark on this difficult journey - she first developed the play in 2003 to expose the racial disparities that feed the economic and industrial nature of privately owned prisons in America – Peterson’s answer was clear. “Anyone who cares about freedom and equality and humanity can’t help but be moved to action once you understand what mass incarceration is. The Prison Industrial complex is a human rights crisis, like slavery was for our ancestors. Could you imagine if our ancestors just accepted the inhumane system of slavery and didn’t fight, didn’t dream? How can I not fight and dream of a world without oppression? I’m a Black woman, a descendant of abolitionists, fiercely in tune with my humanity, bearing witness to a great injustice. It’s my duty to continue the legacy of ringing the alarm and fighting for freedom”. I asked what would you do
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