Performers Sophia Early, Ezinne Elele, Natalia Fyfe, Shana Oshiro, Llogan Peters and Ixchel Hernandez pay homage to a celebrated poet and activist in the show “Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience,” running until June 23.
A woman of many words and humble feats, Jordan’s story is brought to life through movement, song and short videos scripted to submerge the audience in moments that molded the celebrated writer and freedom fighter.
In a show that first premiered in 2022, Theater Alliance’s “Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience,” directed by Raymond O. Caldwell, shows how the poet crossed paths with the likes of famed activists and artists such as Fannie Lou Hamer, Adrienne Torf and Angela Davis. In this remounting, performed in each quadrant of the District, the show’s intricately woven stage drama reiterates that each of Jordan’s experiences and friendships deepened her understanding of self and magnified her potential for empathy.
Jordan is depicted in each of the six actresses, bound together by only clothing, reminding audiences of humans’ similarities despite differences. Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell, Jordan’s legacy is lived out by ladies of white, Black and Latina descent.
Costume designer Brandee Mathies placed each woman on stage in stripes and a gold, circular necklace, showing that a singular lived experience cannot and does not exist.
As the artists performed Jordan’s 1982 poem, “Moving towards Home,” audiences tap into the many experiences
“I was born a Black woman
and now
I am become a Palestinian
against the relentless laughter of evil
there is less and less living room”
The performers recall Jordan’s words on the Palestinian massacre in Beirut providing a backdrop of the past juxtaposed next to a stark portrait of the present. These striking soliloquies do not end there, but grow into a mountain of poignant history.
Through the show, audiences are guided through a powerful performance enlightening us on the 1986 musical written by Jordan and Torf, “Bang Bang über Alles,” a steamy window into the South’s racial injustices adamantly upheld by the Ku Klux Klan.
The message was so meek yet purposeful that it hasn’t been performed again to date.
This show is perfect for anyone looking to take a deeper dive into Jordan’s undertold biography as a human rights advocate who focused on policy reformation both near and far, and emphasized the importance of representation in all fields.
“Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience,” is also making going to see theater accessible to all District residents. After a successful and engaging opening weekend at Southeast’s Anacostia Arts Center from May 31-June 2, audiences can now check out the show at Dance Place in Northeast from June 6-9; in Southwest at Culture House from June 13-16; and June 20-23 at Dupont Underground in Northwest.
For tickets and more information, go to theateralliance.com.