Harlem Stage Presents Freedom Riders Tour about the Black Experience in America - Madison N.(2-3 points)

 I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Freedom Riders Tour presented by the Harlem Stage. As an artist, I was grateful to see the art and discipline of successful actors and actresses in person. The set, props, and costumes were simple yet powerful as they complimented the contents of the story perfectly. The performance offered different perspectives of the experience one has while being Black in America. From the trouble one could find from simply walking home in a predominately white neighborhood, to the challenges of being a black trans woman in America, the story offered various perspectives while simultaneously offering everyone in the space room to feel seen. The set design was so interesting because there was honestly no set. There were a couple of boxes for them to sit on with stands in front of them and simple props and costumes. The set, props, and costumes did not need to be elaborate because the story spoke loudly for itself. The dialogue took up the space that the sets would have, had it been there. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the music that accompanied the art. Adding on to the theme of simplicity in the design of the show, there were 3 artists: a violin player, piano player, and guitar player. Sometimes the three of them played together, sometimes separately, but their movements were always in sync and aligned, aiding the story not too abrasively, but with the perfect balance of presence and control.  The performance left myself, and peers in an internal environment of grief, for the lives that have been lost due to prejudice, racism, and police brutality. I am appreciative of this performance and am glad that the stories of those whose lives have been taken are still being echoed throughout the country and not forgotten or sugar coded.

Madison Norwood