Q: At the first rehearsal for our production of What to Send Up When It Goes Down, you mentioned that the work and spirit of this script are near and dear to you. It is a piece that upends our expectations of what theatre can be and what it can do. Without giving too much away, what excites you most about crafting and sharing the experience of this piece with our audiences?
A: I, vickie washington, am an Afrikan-Ancestored Black Woman, who recognizes the practice of Theatre as a Sacred Gift. With that as my lived and living reality, when the opportunity to direct Aleshea Harris’ What to Send Up When It Goes Down was presented to me, I received it with much gratitude. In the face of the many forms of Anti-Black violence and relentless killings, What to Send Up When It Goes Down gives us the precious opportunity to come together and heal – utilizing song, dance, breath, story, myth, and yes, Ritual… the first theater. To be able to do so at Stage West, with creatives who recognize and honor the value of Black lives; along with this talented and committed cast, is blessing on top of blessing. Nightly we honor the memories of those whose lives have been stolen, and we drop the ugliness and the violence that far too often has been placed on us. In a world and a time that would have us to focus only on the pain, we push through to find the joy and self-love that has far too often been denied to Black folk. So come on and Heal.With.Us. #onandup
