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Arkansas Poster
Preview: SEP 28-30, 2021
Opening: OCT 1, 2021
Closing: OCT 30, 2021
90 Minutes, No Intermission
$20 Preview Performances
$40 Performances


Broadbend, Arkansas
Act 1 ("Just One Q") book and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, with music by Ted Shen
Act 2 ("Ruby") book and lyrics by Harrison David Rivers, with music and additional lyrics by Ted Shen

How can I protect them from the whole damn world?
This beautiful jazz-infused two-person musical reveals a short insightful history of a family whose stories parallel our current social issues. Benny is a Black orderly at a white nursing home in 1961 raising his twin daughters alone. He befriends his boss Julynne as they bond over missing scrabble tiles and plucking chin hairs. Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Benny joins the Freedom Riders in the Deep South.Twenty-seven years later, his daughter Ruby is living through similar racial injustice while struggling to understand an incident of police brutality against her 15-year-old son. This exquisite and stunning musical spans three decades and three generations. In Broadbend, Arkansas, Benny and Ruby ask us to contemplate the cycles of violence in this country, and how we will find hope and create change against the backdrop of systemic racism.



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Cast


BENNYRaleigh Mosely II
RUBYPatrece Bloomfield

Production & Design Team

PRODUCERJason Goedken
ARTISTIC DIRECTORWhitney Morse
PRODUCTION MANAGERDanielle Paccione
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGERLeslie Becker
TECHNICAL DIRECTORClay Becker
LITERARY MANAGERRachel Whittington
COMPANY MANAGERRyan Loeckel
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER & PROPS DESIGNER / MASTER Grace Zottig
SHARON HOUSE MANAGERHeather Ard
STUDIO HOUSE MANAGERDoug Montgomery
ASSISTANT HOUSE MANAGERSierra Baggins
DIRECTORToma Tavares Langston
MUSIC DIRECTORBert Rodriguez
BBA STAGE MANAGERMadison Youngblood
BBA ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERStephanie Bezio
SET DESIGNERKenneth Constant
COSTUME DESIGNERTrenell Mooring
LIGHTING DIRECTOR /DESIGNERDavid Krupla
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER / MELindsey Young
SOUND/AV DESIGNERNick Erickson
MASTER CARPENTERAlison Sharvella
DRAMATURGYJessica Elaine

Musical Team

PIANOBert Rodriguez
VIOLINRyan Loeckel
BASSJazmine Whipple



PRODUCTION:
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CONTENT ADVISORY


violence advisory
advisory scale 1.75/4
adult advisory
advisory scale 2.25/4
language advisory
advisory scale 1.75/4

Content Advisory Notes (may contain spoilers) ▼
Trigger Warning:
This show mentions or describes instances of police brutality, racial violence/hate crimes, and a brief mention of incest.

This show also contains haze.
advisory scale 1.75/4 Violence: Characters describe graphic violence, however nothing is shown on stage. Descriptions include: firebomb, fighting, woman hits man with hot iron, police brutality, man shot by police.

advisory scale 2.25/4 Adult Content: Mentions or descriptions of the following (none are portrayed on stage): cheating husband, domestic abuse, mental illness, incest, KKK, police brutality

advisory scale 1.75/4 Language: Limited profane language used, throughout the musical. Possible alienating language with use of the words "negro" and "whore". Language tally (approximate): Ass - 1, Damned - 3, Hell - 1, Lord - 1, Negro - 1, Peckerwood - 1, T*ts - 1, Whore - 1


Seating Chart

seating chart