THE PECULIAR PATRIOT At ArtsEmerson Explores The Human Impact Of Mass Incarceration In America

ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre, is thrilled to welcome the first U.S. tour of National Black Theatre and Hi-ARTS's timely and urgent production, The Peculiar Patriot. Inspired by her decades-long work with prison populations, including on the notorious Riker's Island, Liza Jessie Peterson's one-woman show unpacks the human impact of mass incarceration in America. The production runs two weeks at the Emerson Paramount Center's Jackie Liebergott Black Box, located at 559 Washington Street in downtown Boston. Tickets can be purchased for $60 online at www.ArtsEmerson.org, by phone at 617.824.8400, or in person at the box office. Student, senior and group discounts are available.

Fearlessly funny, smart and provocative, The Peculiar Patriot traces the migration of systemic injustice from the plantation to the prison yard. Director Talvin Wilks examines a racially skewed justice system through the lens and narration of Liza Jessie Peterson who according to The New York Times "as both a writer and a performer...knows how to wield tenderness to leaven despair." As this love story unfolds, The Peculiar Patriot captivates audiences with humor and humanity.

"In the heat of an election to choose the next District Attorney of Suffolk County, this piece throws a bright light on what is at stake," says Artistic Director David Dower. "It makes the headlines come alive in a disarming way. Liza Jessie Peterson has approached the topic from the perspective of a love story - love of the friends and families for the people caught up in an inhumane system - and unlocks the humor and the heartache inside the statistics. And the statistics are worse than we think. Massachusetts alone has a higher rate of incarceration than nearly every developed nation on the planet. How do we feel that horror as a community, as a nation? ArtsEmerson is grateful for Liza's voice and passion on this catastrophe, and honored to connect her art and activism with our audiences and our city."

About The Peculiar Patriot

Written and performed by Liza Jessie Peterson, The Peculiar Patriot is a one-woman show that examines imprisonment in America. Betsy LaQuanda Ross, Liza's narrator, a self-proclaimed "peculiar patriot," who makes regular visits to penitentiaries to boost the morale of her incarcerated friends and family. Betsy is both victim and victor of this country's prison system and her story turns statistics into achingly relatable stories, drawn from the experience of more than 2.5 million people behind bars.

About the Artist

Liza Jessie Peterson (Betsy Laquanda Ross, Playwright) is author of ALL DAY; A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island, which is available on-line and in bookstores now. She is a renowned actress, poet, playwright, author, educator and youth advocate who has been steadfast in her commitment to incarcerated populations both professionally and artistically for over two decades. She was recently featured in Ava DuVernay's Emmy award winning documentary The 13th (Netflix) and was a consultant on Bill Moyers documentary RIKERS (PBS). Liza has written several plays, including her one woman show-tour de force, The Peculiar Patriot, where she performed excerpts of it in over 35 penitentiaries across the country. The play was recently awarded a generous grant from Agnes Gund's Art for Justice Fund and she will be touring it nationally 2018-2019. Liza is currently developing several other TV and theater projects including a play based on her book ALL DAY.

About National Black Theatre

Founded by visionary Dr. Barbara Ann Teer in 1968, National Black Theatre (NBT) is a nationally recognized cultural and educational institution. Dr. Teer pioneered "the healing art of Black theatre as an instrument for wholeness in urban communities where entrepreneurial artists of African descent live and work." In 1983, Dr. Teer expanded the vision of NBT by purchasing a 64,000-square-foot building on 125th Street and Fifth Avenue (renamed "National Black Theatre Way" by local law in 1994). This was the first revenue-generating Black arts complex in the country, an innovative arrangement through which for-profit businesses who shared NBT's spiritual and aesthetic values rented retail space to subsidize the arts. Out of her vision, NBT houses the largest collection of Nigerian new sacred art in the Western hemisphere and is considered the authentic representation of a model whose time has come. NBT is partially supported by grants from the City Council of New York, City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Ford Foundation, Columbia Service Society and private donations. Visit www.nationalblacktheatre.org or follow NBT on Facebook (@NationalBlackTheatre) and Twitter/Instagram (@NatBlackTheatre).

About Hi-ARTS

Located at the center of creative and community practice in El Barrio's Artspace PS109, Hi- ARTS is dedicated to advancing urban art by empowering artists to develop bold new works while creating a lasting and positive impact on communities. For over 17 years, the organization has consistently broken new ground by presenting the work of artists from historically marginalized groups and finding creative and artistic ways to address issues related to equity and social justice. Hi-ARTS presents and produces art that truly reflects the diversity of New York City, giving voice to and celebrating traditionally underrepresented narratives and populations. Serving as a development space, Hi-ARTS works with artists to innovate and incubate theater and performance work along with visual arts and youth education. The commitment to this work has developed programming and an audience that is unique within the arts and culture landscape. Hi-ARTS is supported by the following: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, New York Community Trust, Humanities New York, Lucille Lortel Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and individual donors. Visit www.hi-artsnyc.org or follow Hi-ARTS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@hiartsnyc).

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