She Persists: The Great Divide III at Pillsbury House + Theatre

You should go and see She Persists: The Great Divide III at Pillsbury House + Theatre.

When: March 13-24
At: Pillsbury House + Theatre
Running Time: 70 minutes, no intermish

From "I Voted" by Aamera Siddiqui
© 2019 George Byron Griffiths

About:
"She Persists is a fresh take on the conversation that began with the popular 2017 production, The Great Divide: Plays for a Broken Nation and continued with 2018’s The Great Divide: Plays on the Politics of Truth. Featuring an all-woman cast, production team and playwright cohort, She Persists: The Great Divide III is a powerful, intersectional look at the place where womanhood and politics collide."

What We Thought:
These plays are short, but they each pack a punch. "I Voted" by Aamera Siddiqui shows us a far-too-easy to imagine near-future in which voting rights are more like privileges, particularly for people of color. Casey Llewellyn's "The Team" introduces campaign staffers for a presidential campaign who question the commitment of their candidate to making real change.

From "May Yamoe" by Cristina Florencia Castro
© 2019 George Byron Griffiths

In "Wade in the Water," Oya Mae Duchess-Davis depicts a pitch-dark future where non-white Americans are taken from their families and imprisoned or executed. Cristina Florencia Castro presents an exuberant, if clueless, Spanish-language class in "May Yamoe." Finally, in "Ascension," Philana Imade Omorotionmwan has three characters enacting an internal struggle that will be familiar to most women.

Queen Drea
© 2019 George Byron Griffiths

The diverse cast of four terrific actors bring each scene to vivid life. Ashawnti Sakina Ford, Audrey Park, Nora Montañez, and Sara Richardson are all wonderful in their varied roles, assisted by spot-on costumes by Amber Brown. Noël Raymond's direction brings out the themes of racism and sexism as well as the emotion and humor of these pieces.

Before the show and between the plays, Queen Drea creates music onstage using looping and live singing, which adds to and complements the work. She also provides offstage vocals in "Wade in the Water" that are haunting and critical to the story.

This is an entertaining and thought-provoking evening of plays by and about women, brilliantly brought to life by an incredible ensemble. Don't miss it!

From the She Persists program

Accessibility Notes: PHT has a parking lot to the south of the bike shop next door, and street parking in the area is ample. The theater and all-gender restrooms are on one floor at street level. There are minimal stairs in the theater and you can access seating without needing to use stairs.

BONUS: We love what PHT is doing to partner, educate and continue the conversation by featuring post-show discussions and working with Moon Palace Books on a She Persists reading list.