Orlando Repertory Theatre play helps kids grasp racism
Orlando Repertory Theatre is among 41 theaters nationwide that will co-present the online premiere of a free play about racism designed for children.
“A Kids Play About Racism” will be shown Aug. 1-2 in the hopes of giving families a way to engage in meaningful conversation about racial issues. The play is adapted from “A Kids Book About
Race” by Jelani Memory, a Black father with six children of different races.
Orlando Rep and the other presenters, led by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre in California, Seattle Children’s Theatre and Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, specialize in theater for young audiences.
The online presentation of “A Kids Play About Racism” will be available at get.broadwayondemand.com.
“This performance explains what racism is, how to know it when you see and experience it, and ideas for what you can do about it,” reads the website, kidsplayabout.org. The production is recommended for ages 5 and older.
The new play is adapted and directed by Khalia Davis, an award-winning director who works in theater for young audiences.
As part of the production, educational materials by Seattle Children’s Theatre in collaboration with the Northwest African American Museum will be made available.
“I jumped at the opportunity to adapt Jelani Memory’s book ‘A Kids Book About Racism’ into a theatrical piece for young audiences simply because it meant we were recognizing the importance of including children in these difficult conversations,” Davis said in a statement announcing the play. “This show embraces the full spectrum of emotional response children may have as they navigate comprehending racism and how it may affect them.”
An artistic associate for arts-education organization The Story Pirates, Davis also teaches with New York City Children’s Theater and the Atlantic Acting School. For Disney Theatrical Group, she leads music and movement workshops as well as working on audience and community engagement.
She recently served as the director of inclusion and education with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, where she restructured its musical-theater programming in a race-conscious way.
The “Play About Racism” performers come from Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii and New York.
Author Memory founded the “A Kids Book About” publishing company, which also has produced titles about difficult topics such as feminism, belonging, gratitude and cancer.
“When I wrote ‘A Kids Book About Racism,’ I wrote it for my own kids,” he said in the announcement. “I never could have imagined it would have spread so far and wide to thousands of kids all over the world, or turned into a nationwide theatrical event. I am thrilled to see what Khalia and these other amazing artists create.”
While the play is free to watch, viewers will be asked to create an account with Broadway on Demand, a streaming service of arts programming, including Broadway shows. Creating the account is also free.
To view with the team from Orlando Repertory Theatre, join its watch party at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2. Representatives from the Rep will be watching at that time and live tweeting at the theater’s @orlandorep Twitter account.
Those joining the conversation there can use the hashtag #AKPARorlandorep.