Experience the birth of a brand new musical.
HASTINGS STREET
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HASTINGS STREET Virtual Concert
Wed Jul 22, 2020 7:00 PM
Virtual Space
This live-streamed concert is a sneak peek at the score of HASTINGS STREET, a musical in development inspired by Detroit’s history. It’s the summer of 1949 and Hastings Street explores the lives of the Carson family at a moment when the city was beginning to rewrite its landscape in the name of urban renewal. It’s the moment when World War II Vet Robert Carson, Jr. - “Bobby” to everyone - returns home only three years late seeking some familiarity. The story follows the experiences of the Carson Family as they navigate issues of being uprooted on a personal and communal basis.
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Happy July!
Michigan’s only professional African American Theatre, Plowshares Theatre Company, presents a virtual concert of songs from an original musical set in Detroit’s past. With a book by local artists John Sloan III and a score written by Sloan and Kris Johnson, Hastings Street, explores the lives of Detroiters at a moment when the city was rewriting the landscape and displacing thousands of African Americans in the name of progress.
Description
It’s the summer of 1949 and Detroit is electric with anticipation. Both Houses of Congress had just passed the Housing Act. President Truman signs it into law and ushers in a nationwide urban renewal initiative. Detroit’s city planners have earmarked Black Bottom, the nickname for the segregated Black neighborhood, as the target for its urban redevelopment projects.
Hastings Street explores the lives of the Carson family at a moment when the city is beginning to rewrite its landscape. This is not what Robert Carson, Sr. and his wife Beatrice expected when they moved North and opened a supper club. It’s the time when thousands of African American business owners and residents will find themselves displaced all in the name of progress. It’s the moment when World War II Vet Robert, Jr. - “Bobby” to everyone - returns home seeking some normalcy only to be greeted with upheaval. It’s the story of his sister Renita and her husband Marlon as they try to balance their dreams for the future against their responsibilities to the family. Hastings Street follows the Carson Family as they navigate issues of being uprooted on a personal and communal basis.
Hastings Street is a work-in-progress that Plowshares Theatre Company plans to mount once we are out the pandemic. Plowshares appreciates the support of The Kresge Foundation.
This sneak preview event will be live-streamed on July 22 from 7:00 – 7:45 pm on our Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram accounts as well at our website www.plowsharestheatre.org.
Tickets are free but space is limited. To reserve a spot click on the GET TICKETS button above.
Gary
Annual Fund
Plowshares' Annual Fund fills the gap between earned income and operating expenses. In these times people are in the streets demanding greater representation. We at Plowshares knows if Black Live Matters then Black Voices Matter. If Black Voices Matter then Black Art Matters. If Black Art Matters then Black Theatre Matters. For Black Theatre to truly matter it must be funded.
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Plowshares Theatre Company - 440 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI, (313) 744-3181
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