About Facing Our Truth: 10 Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege

FACING OUR TRUTH: TEN MINUTE PLAYS ON TRAYVON, RACE AND PRIVILEGE

Collection / Anthology, Drama

In light of the George Zimmerman verdict, The New Black Fest commissioned six very diverse playwrights to write 10-minute plays on the topic of Trayvon Martin, race and/or privilege. Facing Our Truth 's purpose is to incite serious discussion in our collective communities around these urgent issues. 

The collection, Facing Our Truth: Ten Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilegeis comprised of the following plays:

THE BALLAD OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN text by Dan O’Brien music by Quetzal Flores
A folk opera recreating the ten minutes leading to the murder of Trayvon Martin, The Ballad of George Zimmerman explores the mind of his killer. 

COLORED by Winter Miller
Interactions between passengers on a subway ride escalate dangerously.

DRESSING by Mona Mansour & Tala Manassah
In Dressing, a short play in three parts, a mother teases her son over his attire just as he gets ready to leave for school. He pushes back playfully; they play this game all the time. Parts two and three follow this mother as she experiences an unimaginable loss, shedding light on the nature of the vulnerability of the physical self.

NIGHT VISION by Dominique Morisseau
Ayanna and Ezra witness a woman getting beaten on the street by a man in a hooded sweatshirt. After they diffuse the situation they return to their apartment to call the police. However, when they discover how their accounts of the attacker differ, both are left questioning the truth of what they saw. 

NO MORE MONSTERS HERE by Marcus Gardley 
No More Monsters Here is a satire about a young white female who visits a psychiatrist and gets diagnosed with "Negro-phobia": a fear of African American people. The psychiatrist tells her that the cure is for her to spend three days literally living in the body of a young African American male who lives in the hood. The end result is a revelation that will make you laugh, shock you and perhaps break your heart! 

SOME OTHER KID by A. Rey Pamatmat
Three young people weigh both the potentially liberating privileges and the potentially deadly consequences of being just some other kid.

Theatre Arts at ACHS

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Creativity · Craft · Collaboration · Confidence · Community

Beauty and the Beast, Spring 2019 · Penoso Images

 

Beauty and the Beast, Spring 2019 · Penoso Images

 

The ACHS Drama Program brings to students the passion and power of the performing arts by providing high-quality, dynamic Theatre Arts education at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Our program offers students the chance to experience the excitement and rewards of theatre while developing poise, social & collaborative skills, confidence, and the ability to work with others. All members are introduced to both drama theory and practice as part of their programming.

We offer classes that help students become successful in the Theatre Arts, whether they are in front of or behind the curtain. Our comprehensive program gives students the opportunity to learn about the various theatrical disciplines, including:

  • Acting
  • Playwriting
  • Directing
  • History
  • Critical Analysis
  • Stagecraft (Set Design & Props)
  • Lighting
  • Sound
  • Production and Management
  • Promotion and Marketing

The ACHS Drama Department produces at least 3 productions each year. Our fall production is typically a non-musical play. Mid-year, our department participates in the Virginia High School League competition of student-performed, produced, and directed One Acts. Each spring, we produce a large-scale musical. Students who participate in our productions receive a practicum credit toward their degree and will gain membership into the prestigious International Thespian Society. We also travel to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. each year to participate in the Secondary School Shakespeare Festival, where participating middle and high schools perform Shakespeare for each other.