TimeLine Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of NOTES FROM THE FIELD.
The school-to-prison pipeline describes the phenomena that educational inequities lead to unjust incarceration.Whether it’s a woman watching her boyfriend kill a man trying to rape her or a student filming a classmate being thrown across the room by a police officer, if the individual is black she will end up behind bars.
Playwright Anna Deavere Smith gives a platform for these true stories to be heard and understood. Smith captures individuals’ voices sharing their experiences. Each narration is riddled with personality. An aging congressman reflecting on a brutal beating. A dishwasher explaining his resignation with an ongoing litany of ‘you feel me?’ And a Finnish teacher grappling with why anyone needs handcuffs in a classroom. Each person brings a different perspective anchored in honesty.
Smith originally weaved together this series of monologues and performed it as a one-woman show. TimeLine’s Chicago premiere expands it into a three-woman show with Mildred Marie Langford, Adhana Reid and Shariba Rivers . And these actors are fierce! Langford, Reid and Rivers show incredible range.They morph seamlessly into a different gender, age, accent, inflection pattern and education level. Each character becomes a distinct person. Each person has a story to tell. And each actor gives voice to these lived moments of injustice and persecution to black Americans.
Director Mikael Burke masterfully orchestrates this with a basically stark stage and minimal costume changes. He even has the ensemble barefoot. Burke effectively fills the space with the personal stories of nineteen people. Although Designer Rasean Davonte Johnson projects names, titles and relevant images on the walls to set the scene, Burke relies on the superb trio to tether the audience to the stories. Langford, Reid and Rivers captivate with their truth telling. Each portrayal is handled with genuine care. They are committed to giving validity to these primarily voiceless and invisible victims.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD is a powerful history lesson. It gives voice to the past, the very personal past of nineteen people. It provides an opportunity for us to hear, understand and learn from our country’s mistakes. NOTES FROM THE FIELD is the catalyst we need to inform systematic reform. Take note and get a ticket!
Running Time: Two hours and thirty minutes includes an intermission
At Timeline Theatre, 615 W. Wellington
Written by Anna Deavere Smith
Directed by Mikael Burke
Performances are:
Wednesdays, Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
Thru March 24th
For more information or tickets
Production photos by Brett Beiner
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