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UPSTANDERS ONSTAGE:
Performances for Social Change

Cincinnati Union Terminal Parking Lot
Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45203
Saturday, May 8
Seating Opens at 5:15 p.m.
Event Starts at 6 p.m.

Welcome and Introduction
Host: Piper N. Davis
Throughout the evening, Piper will provide insight and interactive activities around the work being presented.

Monologue from Jerusalem
Playwright: Michael Gurr
Performer: Julie Locker
Jerusalem explores the injustices of the world and the individual responsibility each of us have as residents of this blue planet. In this specific monologue, Nina discusses the passive nature of karma and whether passiveness can be relied on for justice.

Music set by Deuces
Cincinnati-based music artist Deuces will present approximately 10 minutes of original and covered songs.

Scene from The Normal Heart
Playwright: Larry Kramer
Performers: Christian Hall and Je’Shaun Jackson
Set in early 1980’s New York, during the pandemic of the AIDS crisis, Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart became a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ theatre when it premiered in 1985. This piece is as close to autobiographical as fiction can get, with the character of Ned being based on Kramer’s own experiences as a gay man in New York during those years. In this scene, Ned and Bruce discuss the latest victory in the gay communities fight against AIDS, the next steps in that fight and what it means to be gay.

Poems by Siri Imani
Cincinnati-based artist Siri Imani will present original poetry.

Dramaturgical Information and Activities
Host: Piper N. Davis

Monologue from Notes from the Field
Playwright: Anna Deavere Smith
Performed by: Sharisse Santos
This selection from the play Notes from the Field highlights the real-life story of Bree Newsome — a film maker and activist from Charlotte, North Carolina, who caught the attention of national news by making a decision. A confederate battle flag flew above the North Carolina state capitol, and Bree decided it was time it came down. This monologue from Bree’s perspective grants insight into how an act as simple as climbing a flagpole with a pair of scissors can add to a national movement.

Music set by Jayda Klink
Cincinnati-based music artist Jada Klink will present approximately 10 minutes of covered songs.

Scene from Curfew: The Night the Lights Went Out in Cincinnati
Playwright: Jeff Shelby
Performers: Christian Hall and Je’Shaun Jackson
Set in a small convenience store in Over the Rhine, directly after the outrage surrounding the 2001 murder of Timothy Thomas. In this scene from a larger work, Jeff Shelby, a Cincinnati local, explores the justifications and ramifications of civil disobedience through the lens of a convenience store owner and his friend.

Poems by Siri Imani
Cincinnati-based artist Siri Imani will present original poetry.

Dramaturgical Information and Activities
Host: Piper N. Davis

Monologue from Twilight: Los Angeles Bey
Playwright: Anna Deavere Smith
Performer: Christian Hall
The monologue Twilight Bey, pulled from Anna Deavere Smith’s full script Twilight: Los Angeles, reveals the limbo created in between dusk and dawn after the riots stemming from the Rodney King verdict racked the city of L.A. Through the narration of a character aptly called Twilight, Smith walks us through the activities of the night and the darkness which accompanies it.

Music set by Deuces
Cincinnati-based music artist Deuces will present approximately 10 minutes of original and covered songs.

Scene from The Cake
Playwright: Bekah Brunstetter
Performers: Julie Locker and Sharisse Santos
Based on the real-life events that spurred the Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission supreme court case, The Cake explores the morality of a small cake shop’s decision to deny service to a gay couple and the ramifications that decision has on society. In this scene, Macy and Jen discuss their relationship and the prejudice they face as they approach their wedding in a town that does not support them.

Poems by Siri Imani
Cincinnati-based artist Siri Imani will present original poetry.

Dramaturgical Information and Activities
Host: Piper N. Davis

Monologue from The Legend of Georgia McBride
Playwright: Matthew Lopez
Performer: Je’Shaun Jackson
What is drag? We’re so glad you asked. This monologue explores that very question from the voice of a veteran drag queen named Rexy, reflecting on their early years performing drag and what it means to them. There is power in staring down those who hate you for being you. There is power in drag.

Music set by Jayda Klink
Cincinnati-based music artist Jada Klink will present approximately 10 minutes of covered songs.

Scene from LET. HER. RIP.
Playwright: Maggie Lou Rader
Performers: Julie Locker and Sharisse Santos
Cincinnati-based playwright Maggie Lou Radar's LET. HER. RIP. is set in London during Jack the Ripper's slaughterous terrorization of the city streets. The play delves into the story of a London sex-worker and the stigma surrounding sex work. In this scene Nana, a sex-worker, and Em, the woman doing what she can to support her friend, discuss the realities of prostitution with a killer on the loose and how the media has warped the perception of who this killer truly is.

Poems by Siri Imani
Cincinnati-based artist Siri Imani will present original poetry.

Closing
Host: Piper N. Davis