Paradise Blue (Attending a performance +2)

 

In July, I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Paradise Blue by Dominique Morisseau at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. This was a very unique experience because the audience was sitting on the stage! The actors performed throughout the jazz-style bar. The story focuses on a Black couple living in Paradise Valley, a vibrant entertainment district in Detroit. When they receive some intriguing visitors, their lives are changed forever. The audience is brought into an atmosphere of helplessness as this couple battles gentrification and the threat of losing their bar. We have a front row seat to the characters' battle with domestic abuse, and watch as Blue struggles with the memory of his deceased father. 

Dominique Morisseau is a Black American playwright born in Detroit, Michigan. Her works have always highlighted aspects of Black American life and relationships. This is why it is so important that we have playwrights from all cultures. If we want diverse stories, we need to create the stories we want to hear.  I greatly enjoyed seeing another one of her works, done in such a unique way!

By Jordyn O'Neal