Sneak Peek by Grace Eichler of Blacktop Sky: Know Theatre
Know Theatre’s upcoming production, BlackTop Sky, takes on an environment that many of us can’t quite remember. While written in 2001, the play is set in 2008. Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice were all alive in 2008. America had just elected its first African-American President. Director Kimberly Faith Hickman brings playwright Christina Anderson’s words to life as she examines love, violence, community and justice in almost modern-day America.
Unique to this production is the youthful cast, all with local training at either NKU, CCM or as an Ensemble Intern. The cast is comprised of Landon Horton, Aziza Macklin and Kameron Richardson, who tackle the nuances of the play, especially in today’s current socioeconomic and political climate.
The play follows Ida, a Chicago housing project resident, who befriends a young homeless man, Klass, who lives near the projects. Her boyfriend struggles to understand Ida’s interest in Klass, as fear and misunderstanding create a barrier that prevents communication.
Echoing the theme of communication, Hickman notes that the interesting challenges this script present are mainly the moments without dialogue: “it has been interesting to explore the relationship dynamics in this play, and examine what these characters are communicating to one another when they are speaking or when they are not.”
BlackTop Sky runs January 29 – February 20 at Know Theatre. More information and tickets are available at http://knowtheatre.com/blacktop-sky/ or 513-300-5669.
