Gitana Productions will present “Black and Blue” at the Missouri History Museum from May 22-24. It also will be presented at Kranzberg Art Center from May 29-31; Greater St. Mark Family Church on June 7; and St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley
from June 19-24.

“As soon as Michael Brown was shot and the protests began, I knew I needed to be there,” said Cecilia Nadal, founder and executive director of Gitana Productions. “I was on the protest line for 10 days and made a point of talking with people of different nationalities and races. I was looking for something.”

What she found were people’s unique stories. She worked with playwright Lee Patton Chiles to weave those stories into a spoken-word performance about the historical tension between African-American communities and law enforcement, presenting both viewpoints.
Out of those viewpoints came “Black and Blue,” an original play by Gitana Productions that explores the complex relationship between the African American community and the police. It opens Friday, May 22 at the Missouri History Museum.

The play, written by Chiles with music produced by TBeats Entertainment, encourages cross-cultural understanding and healing in light of the Michael Brown Jr. killing and subsequent events in Ferguson.
“If we had genuine cross-cultural engagement in St. Louis, most of the problems that we are all concerned about would be eradicated,” Nadal said. “When you have that intersection of ideas, you always get better ideas than if it were just limited to a homogeneous group.”

Chiles based “Black and Blue” on a compilation of interviews with police officers and members of the African-American community. Performers include professional actors as well as people from the community and the Center of Hope and Peace.
The seven community actors, all active in Ferguson protests, include a nurse/youth educator, a 12-year-old girl, a high school student, and a 19-year-old man who was tear gassed and shot with rubber and wooden bullets. Guest recording artist Dyce will perform his debut single “Walk with U.S.”

Music for the play was produced by TBeats Entertainment, a music recording and production company owned by Anthony (Tony) Thompson, CEO of Kwame Building Group and a noted African-American community leader. Most of the music was written, recorded and contributed by Thompson and TBeats Studio recording artists, with lyrics by Chiles.
“The events in Ferguson and across the country ruptured widespread denial about the state of race relations and equal justice under the law in our country,” said Nadal. “This play peels back the presumption of guilt on both sides of the issue so that we can begin the healing process.”

Performances at the Missouri History Museum run from May 22-24. “Black and Blue” also will be presented at Kranzberg Art Center from May 29-31; Greater St. Mark Family Church on June 7; and St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley from June 19-21.

reservations can be made online at www.gitana-inc.org, by calling (314) 721-6556 or emailing [email protected].

The St. Louis American © May 2015