Woolly Mammoth Sets Free Events, Public Art Project for An Octoroon
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company will be inviting audiences to attend companion events during the run of An Octoroon. For each show, Woolly will host special House Lights Up Events including Community Conversations (CC)-facilitated post-show opportunities for dialogue and exchange with fellow audience members; Creative Happenings (CH)-imaginative responses to An Octoroon including spoken word after-parties, workshops, and more; and the (Un)lecture Series (UN)-Sessions that dig into the big ideas, major themes, and historical context surrounding An Octoroon. All events are listed below, and are free and open to the public.
Additional information on the events around An Octoroon and the artists whose work will be hosted in the lobby will be added to our website (www.woollymammoth.net/connectivity) as it becomes available. Tickets to An Octoroon, which runs from May 30 through June 26, can be purchased through Woolly's online ticket service or by calling the Box Office.
EVENTS: (Un)lecture Series
To Be Human: African American Narratives in a New Light
Saturday, June 4th at 7:00pm (preceding the 8pm performance)
Join us for an (un)lecture preparing audiences to look past dominant stories of a besieged people, and consider what it means to be human under inhuman circumstances. Led by Dr. Sheri Parks, professor and author of Fierce Angels: Living with the Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4214
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Appropriation & Amalgamation: Racial Performance in An Octoroon
Sunday, June 5th at 6:00pm (preceding the 7pm performance)
Interrogate the relationships between whiteface minstrelsy, Brer Rabbit folktales, and (theatrical) conventions as strategies for disrupting racial identity. Featuring scholar and dramaturg Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zoe.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4215
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Train the Movement 101
Wednesday, June 8th at 6:30pm (preceding the 8pm performance)
Join Train the Movement: A Trainers of Color Collaborative for a workshop about creating collaborative problem-solving environments to address racial and social justice issues, and training to support those wanting to initiate similar spaces. Committed to the development and sharing of tools, Train the Movement will also curate a resource list of books, articles, videos, and visual art to accompany the session, and spark further discussions about An Octoroon.
Event Registration Link:: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4225
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Collections Workshop: Slavery & Citizenship
In partnership with the Historical Society of Washington DC
Saturday, June 11th at 1:00pm (preceding the 3pm performance)
Kiplinger Research Library at the Carnegie Library (801 K Street, N.W.)
In this hands-on collections workshop, explore how archival records frame our understanding of slavery and emancipation by examining petitions for freedom, pamphlets, photographs, lithographs and more. Staff members will also guide visitors through the impact of slavery on the District of Columbia.
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Cultural Trauma, Comedy, and Community
Saturday, June 11th at 5:30pm (following the 3pm performance)
How is art used to explore cultural and historical trauma? What is the relationship between historical trauma and current community crises? Join applied medical anthropologist Kerry Hawk-Lessard (Native American Lifelines) and writer, actor, and comedian Azie Mira Dungey (Ask a Slave, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
Event Registration Link:: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4216
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Staging Race: Adaptation, Appropriation, and Authenticity
Sunday, June 12th at 9:30pm (following the 7pm performance)
How is race performed on the American stage? Join theatre and literary scholars in this vibrant exploration of melodrama, the politics of theatrical representation, and AN OCTOROON in context.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4218
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A Lens on Freedom
Sunday, June 19th at 4:30pm (following the 2pm performance)
What's in an image? Join cultural scholar and historian Izetta Mobley for an eye-opening conversation about slavery, photography, and Black citizenship.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4221
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Black Lives Matter and Beyond: Imagining the New Activism
Saturday, June 25th at 1:30pm (preceding the 3pm performance)
In Partnership with GLOSSRAGS
How are activists in the DC area confronting racism and shifting local and national narratives? Hear from change makers on the front lines, and join in on a dialogue about the past, present, and future of the movement(s) for black lives.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4222
EVENTS: Creative Happenings
Soul Slam: The Workshop
Sunday, June 12th at 4:30pm (following the 2pm performance)
Whether you're a seasoned poet, a beginning musician, or simply an arts appreciator, it's your turn to create. In this workshop led by Sanctuaries DC, tap into your artistic side-in whatever medium that may be-- and develop your own creative response to An Octoroon. Then, share your creation with the public at the Soul Slam: AN OCTOROON Edition on Saturday, June 18th at 5:30pm
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4217
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Codeswitching for Survival
Friday, June 17 at 10:30pm (following the 8pm performance)
In partnership with Spit Dat DC
Join Spit Dat DC and host Dwayne Lawson-Brown for a late-night spoken word afterparty and happy hour! Riffing on the theme of codeswitching in the play, poets take the audience on a guided tour of the nuanced duality necessary to be deemed "successful" as a minority in America.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4219
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Soul Slam: AN OCTOROON Edition
Saturday, June 18th at 5:30pm (following the 3pm performance)
In this one-of-a kind slam session, Woolly audiences and Sanctuaries DC members share creative responses to the provocative questions raised by AN OCTOROON. From live music and painting, to poetry and dance, experience original works created right here at Woolly.
Note: to share your own creative response as part of the Soul Slam, you must also register for, and attend, Soul Slam: The Workshop on Sunday, June 12th at 4:30pm
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4220
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The Dangers of Assumption: A Staged Speak-Out
Sunday, June 26 at 4:30pm (following the 2pm show)
What does it mean to be an artist of color in the 21st century? In this series of brand new monologues, DC writers and performers respond to AN OCTOROON, and explore the frustrations that arise from the racial pigeonholing of their work.
Event Registration Link: http://ticketing.woollymammoth.net/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=4223