Community Connection: Curious Theatre Company

TREE: Wonderful. Now, Regina.

REGINA: Yes.

TREE: So, when did you become a playwright, and what was your first play?

REGINA: I’ve been writing my whole life. From age maybe five years old, I recall being on the floor with construction paper, crayons, and my mother's hand on mine — teaching me how to tell your own story with the little chocolate girl in the center of it. Your perspective. And she — she said that was my survival tool in this world as other people will try to name you in this life. To be able to name yourself. To dream. How do you start with your own imagination? Roll up your sleeves, chart a course, work really hard, and make those dreams concrete.

TREE: That is wonderful when — you got to have a powerful mom to be able to just take you and do that. And that’s absolutely wonderful. Wow.

REGINA: So, I always wanted to be a writer. I slipped into acting when I went to college. I was a journalism major. Teacher — counselor said, “Oh, take an acting class and fill out some extra credits.” And while I was at the theater school, I ran into someone who was telling me about an audition for a movie called The Little Rock 9 starring Joan Woodward. And we know that we have the esteemed Carlotta, the youngest member of the Little Rock 9 living here, and was able to reconnect with her just recently interviewing her for this piece. And I got to play one of the Little Rock 9 that was…

That really impressed me in terms of the arts and telling our stories and how the arts can truly move people. Get people to empathize, remember, and continue what is the legacy of our history. That's very important, especially right now, which is why I wrote this piece. It is a piece that is written about what's happening right here, right now in this world, an artist who’s triggered by what's happening. Triggers her to think about how far we've come, where we are right now. Are we moving forward or are we moving back?

She is Iris Spears, and in this moment her work is being marched out of museums and her history is being erased. What do we do as African Americans in this country? In this moment in time, I think we have to find our voice.

TREE: Yes.

REGINA: To speak out, to stand up, speak out, find that voice, and find connection.

TREE: Yes, the voice is very powerful, and once you use your voice, utilize your voice to find the connection. Who knows where we can go?

REGINA: That's what you're doing. That's what you're doing right here and now.

TREE: I’m doing the best I can. It's that that was just — that's so heart touching that we can reach out and do that because most people forget about, you know, we have a voice. We have a connection. Let's all join together and pull it together.

REGINA: Yes.

TREE: Yes. Oh man, this is powerful. So, that's why you created Exhibit because of all that, making that connection. It's just incredible.

REGINA: Absolutely.

TREE: Now, what do you want people to take away after seeing the play? What do you want them to take with them?

REGINA: Why I wanted to do this piece is to tell the stories, share the stories however possible. So, what you have is a play at Curious Theatre. You also have artwork that’s in the lobby upstairs and down. What you have are also works: interviews, portraits, and portraits of people right here that you go online and you keep spreading. And I'm inviting people to continue that here; creatives to share their stories in whatever medium, whether they are photographers or musicians or — this is a platform for you to share what we need to talk about right now.

I'm here because I want to share this piece and have conversations with communities, bring communities together in the space but also to take down the walls, to share these stories. We're going to have several talkbacks after the show. That's a part of my mission purpose. That's what theater is. People coming together, telling in their histories, memories…and particularly right now in this time, letting people know that they're not alone on these journeys.

TREE: Yes. Because so many people feel that, and it's, like, you're not. If you just open up, reach out just a little, it's amazing what you can pull back in.

REGINA: Right, and it is — it should be an intergenerational conversation. We need that. Certainly we know we've been through this before.

TREE: Right.

REGINA: The cycles of being in this body in America several times.

TREE: Mhmm. And we reach out and find a way to get stronger and rebuild and continue to keep going.

REGINA: Yes.

TREE: How long is the play running?

JADA: Play runs through May 25th. We have performances Wednesday through Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees.

TREE: Sunday matinee right after church. Get your brunch and then come to the theater.