The Detroit Public Theatre is coming to West Michigan with an award-winning drama.
Eight years ago, when the Detroit Public Theatre (DPT) was founded, they knew they wanted “Detroit ‘67” to be one of the first plays they produced. Created by playwright Dominique Morisseau, who is now executive artistic producer for DPT, the play is a thought-provoking and timely masterpiece that discusses struggles we’re still facing today through the lens of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion.
While people may have a basic historical understanding of the so-called “riot,” in which unrest and violence came to a head between Black residents and the Detroit Police Department, what “Detroit ‘67” provides is another side of the story, a more personal one. It shows how Detroiters weren’t just out to do property damage, but were fighting against a racist, violent police presence that was actively pushing for segregation.
“We think it's important for people to see it and to understand what happened,” said Courtney Burkett, producing artistic director for DPT, adding that her own white parents didn’t really know what actually happened with the rebellion despite living through it. “It really personalizes the story and it also really is about many things that are happening today, so many headlines about police brutality.
“Many of the incidents that happen in the play, we're still dealing with in our contemporary society. So while it is a historical piece, it's also has a lot of very contemporary relevance.”
More than 50 years later, the play is so relevant (not to mention compelling, moving and entertaining) that the theater is making sure it reaches other communities, including a recent run at Wharton Center in Lansing.
Now, it’s coming to the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon, March 9-11. Years ago when it first played, Frauenthal Executive Director Eric Messing saw the play and found it to be a powerful piece that resonated with him. So when he heard it was going on the road, he made sure Frauenthal was on the list.
Without getting in the weeds of the plot, the play is set at the height of Motown and follows the Poindexter siblings, Chelle and Lank, as they make ends meet by hosting parties in their basement. Lank is dreaming big, and brings home a mysterious woman, leading to an eruption of the family’s simmering disagreements as the streets of Detroit erupt outside.
While the play is certainly heavy, and includes warnings for depictions of violence and strong language, including racial slurs, it’s also funny and full of joy.
“It’s a very intimate, personal, and also really joyful story. There’s a lot of joy in the story and a lot of really beautiful family. And also it's got great music. Motown is like the sixth character in the play,” Burkett said. “So it really, really gives you a taste of what Detroit was like in the 1960s and the joy and the culture that was coming out of our city, alongside some of the consequences of racism.”
You’ll cry one moment, laugh the next and want to sing along to Motown after that. In keeping with that intimate and personal touch, Frauenthal is also showing this play at the Beardsley Theater, which seats just 169, as opposed to their usual 1,700-seat theater.
Plus, Thursday, March 9 will have a talkback following the opening night performance, with a panel of community leaders and moderated by Detroit Public Theater. It’s another opportunity to dive deeper into the topics and themes presented by the show. Whenever you can make it out though, they’d love to have you.
“Come on over to the Poindexter's joint,” Burkett said. Come on over and you'll have a great time, I promise.”
Detroit ‘67
Frauenthal Theater/Detroit Public Theater
March 9-11
https://shows.frauenthal.org/detroit-67
