‌On the Mainstage

Progress Theatre's The Burnin'

Written and directed by
Cristal Chanelle Truscott

Original music by
Heather Christian &
Cristal Chanelle Truscott

Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.
Baker Theatre
Talkback to follow

It's 1940 in the fictional city of Antebellum. As the African-American community prepares for the return of hometown hero Band Man, scheduled to play at the local juke, the white community organizes its annual Pilgrimage Pageant; a celebration of Southern hierarchy as it was "before the war."

Fast-forward 75 years and post-Great Migration urban residents in the metropolis of Sittay gather to critique the policies and politics behind contemporary headlines. When disaster strikes in both spaces and places, all involved are forced to examine the meaning of community, agency and identity in the blink of an eye.

As history repeats itself, The Burnin' straddles time between these two worlds, examining the possibility that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Burnin' is a NeoSpiritual (a cappella musical) inspired by two major U.S. nightclub tragedies: the Rhythm Club fire of Natchez, Mississippi (1940), and the E2 nightclub stampede of Chicago, Illinois (2003).

DIALOGUE
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Recital Hall, Baker Center for the Arts
Free, open to the public; no ticket required.

History is being made and both Cristal Chanelle Truscott and Sharrell D. Luckett are front-row center. In this evenings of critical dialogue, both artist-scholars will offer insight on the history of Black acting methods in the U.S., paying special attention to Dr. Truscott's "SoulWork" methodology and Dr. Luckett's ongoing research of the "Hendricks Method." Both acting methodologies are rooted in an Afrocentric framework, and featured in the groundbreaking book Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches, lead-edited by Dr. Luckett

Co-Presented by: The Muhlenberg Department of Theatre & Dance, The Gruber Lectureship in the Arts, Art in the Fields, Lectures and Forums, The Associate Dean for Diversity Initiatives

Tickets:
Public: $15
Campus: $8
484.664.3333
or order online