CLEVELAND — The community is invited to see the world premiere of Jeanne Madison’s Showin’ Up Black at Cleveland Public Theatre starting on Feb. 20 and running until March 8.
“This is a very different kind of story, but it's about real people, people like us,” said Showin’ Up Black Playwright Jeanne Madison.
The play originally started as an early developmental performance in 2023.
But the play has now received enough support to make its world premiere, or first public showing, which Makayla Smith said she has enjoyed being an actress in.
“I was really excited to do a character that is a part of an all-black family. It’s an all-black cast, which is really exciting, and it just shows a different family dynamic than we sometimes see,” said Smith.
In her role as 17-year-old Evvy Hopegoode, Smith and Director Jimmie Woody said the production tells the story of an affluent black family in Cleveland preparing for Evvy’s cotillion when a Black Lives Matter protest is suddenly thrown in the mix.
Woody said this then causes everyone to think about themselves and what exactly it is to be black in society.
“The work that Jeanne has put into this play, and also the topics and the things that it covers that I think that young and old, black or white anybody can really engage and get something out of this story,” said Woody.
You’ll also have the chance to watch a love story unfold between Evvy and Quan Richardson, a biomedical engineering college student who, according to actor Drew Pope, is focused on empowering his community.
“He’s got it in a way to support the social and political African American realm. He’s huge on civil rights, and he’s heavily against police brutality, and so it takes him down a different path than what he was originally going on,” said Pope.
But Madison said it’s all a part of her vision.
“Most of the time when these stories are, depicted on television, it's a valiant attempt, but most of the people that are writing them haven't lived it, because people that grow up this way don't get to become playwrights unless they're lucky,” said Madison.
In addition to its world premiere, the play received a $15,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant.
Click here to purchase your ticket before they sell out.
