A quarterly play or musical discussion group devoted to exploring works by artists who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and all marginalized genders.
Our 2024 TRL programming continues to deconstruct the Western canon with engaging works focused on distinct categories.
Quarter Three: Systemic Failures of the U.S.
Blacktop Sky by Christina Anderson
Spay by Madison Fiedler
Date: Thursday, August 15th, 2024
Time: 7:30-9:30pm CST
(5:30-7:30 PST/6:30-8:30 MST/8:30-10:30 EST)
Price: FREE*
*This is a Community Event so it is free and open to all. However, if you would like to make a donation to help cover the costs of paying our actors & special guests, that would be greatly appreciated. Suggested Donation $5.
Synopses: Blacktop Sky — Klass, a homeless, young Black man, sets up residence in the courtyard of the housing project where Ida Peters lives. Triggered by a fatal confrontation between a local street vendor and the police, Klass and Ida quickly develop a precarious bond against the backdrop of a restless neighborhood. Inspired by the Greek myth Leda and the Swan, Blacktop Sky examines the intersection of love, violence, and seduction.
Spay —Williamson, West Virginia has been aptly nicknamed “Pilliamson” as long as the Attridge sisters have called it home. In the wake of their mother’s overdose, the two sisters have taken very different paths. As Harper raises Noah’s child, vowing to tread new ground, Noah finds herself unable to break old cycles – until a stranger promises a way to do just that. Madison Fiedler’s new drama SPAY interrogates the question of autonomy in small-town Appalachia.
Plays: Blacktop Sky can be purchased here. Spay can be found on NPX here. Please contact us if you have any further questions.
Discussion format: Actors will be reading scenes from the play and/or we will listen to select songs to kick off our discussion. This will provide a jumping off point as well as some context for people who are unable to read it ahead of time. The Thumbprint Team will be facilitating an open conversation where we hope that people will feel confident to bring their thoughts and experiences to the discussion. Additional materials will be provided to you in our Welcome Packet to dig in further to the study of this work, if you so choose to use them.
You do not need to have read the material beforehand to participate.