“WHERE WE STAND” DELIVERS AN INTERACTIVE EXPLORATION OF COMMUNITY AND COMPASSION
PRESENTED BY THE HARTBEAT ENSEMBLE AND THE AUSTIN ARTS CENTER.
Plays are often a spectator sport, but HartBeat Ensemble and Austin Arts Center takes an interactive approach with Where We Stand. Written by Donnetta Lavinia Gray, the award-winning solo show immerses its audience in a dialogue on democracy. Starring Laugh Sanchez in the lead role, Where We Stand follows the journey of a man and his town as he begs them for forgiveness after putting their collective fate in the hands of a stranger. The audience isn’t merely a passive bystander, but serves a crucial role in deciding the man’s destiny, making for an experience unlike any other.
Running from October 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 16, Where We Stand arrives at a pivotal moment in our country’s collective consciousness. "HartBeat Ensemble invites audiences to explore what it means to be in community and in democracy. As we approach our 25th anniversary — an institutional milestone that coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of our nation’s founding document — we are deepening our commitment to civic dialogue through theater. We want attendees to experience HartBeat as a space where the arts are not only a source of inspiration, but also a catalyst for reflection, engagement, and care,” Artistic Director Godfrey L. Simmons shares.
Simmons continues, "By presenting Where We Stand, a powerful story about communal accountability and moral reckoning, we are amplifying themes that are both timeless and urgently relevant: the role of the individual in shaping the collective, the complexity of justice, and the necessity of compassion. We hope attendees leave with a deeper understanding of HartBeat’s mission to build community."
Where We Stand runs October 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 16 at 7:30pm with a 2pm matinee on October 11 at the Austin Arts Center on the campus of Trinity College (300 Summit Street, Hartford). Tickets are free, but advance reservations are required.