The story is based on a Yoruba tale that I heard when I was younger. It’s about the ways in which siblings exist in the world, and how we have to let go of who we are in order to be a better sibling. In that sense it has an enduring quality. 

When we talk about the geopolitical side of the play and the plight of folks who were formerly incarcerated, the world has not changed dramatically. When I wrote the play, the United States had the highest level of incarceration of any “developed” country in the world, and that’s still the case today. 

We’ve created a system that is supposed to be about rehabilitation and justice but we miss the mark. We are often failing the folks who come out of that system. Sometimes as siblings or family members, we do as much as we can but still come up short. There are so many folks who sit in our audiences across races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses who can talk about the prison system, the ways we need to reform it, and how it impacts families. That was the genesis of the play and its importance now. 

-Tarell Alvin McCraney 

This play has been close to my heart since I attended an early workshop. Tarell was a friend in high school. He was the kind of friend that a young artist who isn’t quite sure where she fits in the world desperately needed. He taught me about courage. That may be why I had the courage to say yes to working on this production despite fearing I might fail our students. And Tarell. 

This play has hit me differently every time I have seen or read it, but it has always moved me. In this process, the thing that has struck me repeatedly is an awareness of the moments of joy in this script, and it has been a privilege to get to share them with this cast and crew, along with all the other feelings the story evokes. It reminds me that there is light to be found, even in our darkest moments… if we have the courage to keep looking for it. 

Thank you for being here and part of this. 

-Jen Rabbitt Ring