DETROIT '67 Comes to the T2 Stage

Tony nominee and MacArthur "Genius" grant winner Dominique Morisseau's critically acclaimed play, Detroit '67, begins October 12 at TheatreSquared (477 W. Spring St., Fayetteville) and runs through November 6. Tickets, from $20-$54, can be purchased by calling (479) 777-7477 or by visiting theatre2.org.

It's 1967 in Detroit, and Motown music is getting the party started. Siblings Chelle and Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, the siblings clash over much more than the family business. As their pent-up feelings erupt, so does their city, and they find themselves caught in the middle. This vibrant, raw, "crackling with humor" drama (The New York Times) won the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama.

"I think there are a lot of people who would say Dominique Morisseau is one of the most revolutionary writers in the theater today," says director Dexter J. Singleton, Director of New Play Development at T2, who previously directed The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity and The Royale. "She captures working-class Detroiters perfectly, and the heart of Black women in Detroit. She is great at giving you a socially conscious moment and then flipping it, turning it into something comedic. Ultimately, it's a play about hope and the resilience of the human spirit."

Singleton is the ideal director for the show: He has both produced and starred in it-he was among the first actors to play the character of Lank-but just as importantly, he was born and raised in the neighborhood that serves as the play's backdrop.

"I've walked on those streets, I've seen those things, I've been in those places," he notes. "I hope people come away from this play thinking, 'Detroit is love.'"

Morisseau's play is the second in a trilogy of plays she's written about the Black experience in Detroit. T2 previously produced Skeleton Crew, the final play in the trilogy, in 2018.

The Acting Company includes Devereau Chumrau, Tenisi Davis, Na'Tosha De'Von, Christopher Alexander Chukwueke, and Jenna Krasowski. The Scenic Design is by Baron Pugh, the Costume Design is by Azalea Fairley, the Lighting Design is by John Alexander, and the Sound Design is by Bill Toles.

"There are folks who've been coming to TheatreSquared for a decade or more, who, once every year or so, walk straight up to me with a huge smile, saying, 'this is the best one yet," said T2 Executive Director/Producer Martin Miller. "This is going to be one of those shows."

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