Peppermint Creek Theatre Company Highlights the Voices of Lansing’s Black and Brown Community IN Original Film, “Let Us Breathe”
Peppermint Creek Theatre Company is proud to announce the second event in their 2020 -21 season, the release of the original film event, Let Us Breathe, featuring the voices of Lansing’s black and brown community.
One of the darkest legacies of racism in America is the near-complete removal of black voices from the public discourse. Seeing is not hearing. Only when we stop and listen, when people are heard, do we begin to break down the barriers of inequality and truly work towards a world where Black Lives Matter.
“Peppermint Creek’s 2020-21 season not only challenges our audiences to engage in some timely and thorny topics, but it also challenges US as a theatre company as we explore new and radical ways to connect with audiences during a time when gathering together in a theatre building as we typical do isn’t permitted,” said Chad Swan-Badgero, Artistic Director of PCTC. “And yet, this couldn’t be a more important time for us to be producing theatre that stays true to our mission. There are so many issues that we are grappling with as a society right now that demand dialogue and exploration. We are excited to be offering four different events that will allow audiences to do just that.”
Peppermint Creek has partnered with the Lansing State Journal’s Storytellers Project to create an original and personal new production featuring the voices of Lansing’s black and brown community. Featuring stories of racial injustice, barely surviving COVID, the process of growing into strong black men and women, discovering the rich history of your ancestors, and many more!
The Storytellers Project is a nationwide series of storytelling nights where anyone, from neighbors to notables, can share a true, first-person story with their community. Journalists from Lansing State Journal and USA TODAY Network newsrooms produce and host these nights to serve their community and develop a deeper connection to and greater empathy with them. They combine journalism and oral storytelling to present a broadly appealing evening of entertainment. Storytelling is an art form that empowers, and it’s spreading like journalistic wildfire across the U.S. Since its founding in 2011, more than 7,000 people have told their stories at hundreds of Storytellers Project events.
“Peppermint Creek is thrilled to be creating space for the voices of Lansing’s black and brown community, and to show us that everyone’s story is important”, Swan-Badgero says. “The Storytellers model creates an opportunity for our community to revel in the heartbreaking, goofy, triumphant, and moving stories from those individuals who work and live in Lansing. I can’t think of a better way to use a theatrical platform to draw us all together and to find commonalities in who we are as neighbors.”
This virtual event will be premiered on Peppermint Creek's YouTube page beginning at 8pm on Friday March 5. The video is free to all attendees and will be available for viewing until March 31. No tickets are necessary. Also, on March 5 at 7:30 P.M., join PCTC just before the premiere of the film for a live talk-back with the creative team involved in bringing this event to life. This will take place also on PCTC's YouTube page and Facebook platform.
