Hooded or Being Black for Dummies
By Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm
Marquis and Tru are both fourteen-year-old black boys, but they exist in two totally different worlds. Marquis is a republican prep-schooler living in the affluent white suburb of Achievement Heights, while Tru is a street savvy rap artist from deep within the inner city of Baltimore. Their paths cross one day in a holding cell, where Tru decides that Marquis has lost his “blackness.” As professor and reluctant student, they confront ignorance and traverse the gap between 2pac and Nietzsche.
Theatre Battery was proud to host playwright Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm in Kent throughout the play's development.
In addition, Theatre Battery hosted a Talkback with the cast and crew for the audience following each performance. We were excited for the opportunity to hear immediate feedback and to allow patrons to discuss their thoughts of the production and its material. We hope to continue to provide opportunities for citizens of the Seattle area to discuss their reactions to live theatre in an open, safe environment.
Hooded or Being Black for Dummies was our first production presented with Radical Hospitality ticketing, wherin all performances were free of charge. A concept championed by the Mixed Blood in Minneapolis, Radical Hospitality aims to make professional theatre accessible to all members of a community. Support from The Biller Family Foundation, Kent Station, 4culture, and individual donors made this initiative possible for Theatre Battery.
Read about Hooded or Being Black for Dummies and Radical Hospitality on the Seattle Times website.
CAST / CREW
Director: Logan Ellis
Marquis: Anthony Lee Simmons
Tru: Mic Montgomery
Clementine: Kathryn Bogley
Meadow: Caitlin Macy-Beckwith
Hunter: Richard Sean Glen
Officer Borzoi / Apollo: Andre Brown
Prairie / Debra: Miriam Tobin
Fielder / Dionysus / Headmaster Burns / Concerned Citizen: Jason Sharp
Creative Team: Regina Victoria Fields, Charles Hawkins, Armand Hopkins, Scott Keva James, Kait Mahoney, Lindsey Morck, Amber Parker, Nicholas Ponting, Tiana Ross, Kathryn Stewart
Production Photography: Leilani Saper
