SPIRIT

The next wave in the surge of Afro-Futurist narratives comes in the form of an experimental theater piece, SPIRIT, from Neighborhood Salon Luminary Porsha Olayiwola & Marshall “Gripp” Gillson.

An all-black cast of performers—Ashley Davis, Dzidzor, Tamara St. Hubert, and Cheyenne Harvey—will perform two stories. The first, Exonerate, follows a makeshift family in a dystopic future as they embark on a quest to find healing from generations of violence. The second, Regrow, takes place in an alternative history as a community reacts to newcomers who don't understand their values.

Though the premises are simple, the writers warn audiences to come with an open mind. As part of the Gardner performance, the two playwrights will host a post-show discussion, encouraging audiences to consider and synthesize what they’ve just seen.

Audiences are encouraged to come dressed in futuristic attire. 

Following its premiere at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, SPIRIT will go on to perform at the Codman Academy Black Box Theatre and The Strand Theatre. The full schedule of performances is available at http://spirit.land. 

Follow on Twitter (@SPIRITbos) and Instagram (@spirit.land).

Community Engagement Amplifier Projects at the Gardner highlight change-makers working towards social justice through the arts.

Still want more? Here are some quotes from the artists themselves:

“The show is weird,” Gillson offers. “It’s futuristic. It’s surreal. But our goal is to remind the audience that the strangest things about the worlds we create are the things they share with our own.”

“Afro-futurism is about using radical imagination,” says Olayiwola. “SPIRIT is a narrative that reimagines a future where the power of healing and the power of community are transformative.”

See some photos from the show below!