Black Lives Matter
(photo, right, of Meredith Watson in LNT's Blues in the Night, courtesy of Robert Eddy, First Light Studios)
In this moment, as our country reels in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd (and Breonna Taylor, and David McAtee, and Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery and... ) we relate to what Hamilton's producer Jeffrey Seller said:
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"I'm not a politician. I'm not an activist. I'm not an expert. I'm a theater producer. But...most important I'm an American citizen and silence equals complicity."
So we are speaking.
We are certainly no experts, we are theater-makers. But we are speaking.
For to create powerful, moving, funny, true moments on stage, incredible levels of trust are needed.
We want to do our part to see that same level of trust possible in "the real world."Lost Nation Theater is a place for everyone.
We believe in the power of theater as a catalyst for personal and community transformation - with plays/stories/performances that are rich in language and offer hopeful possibilities for human interaction and connection.
There is nothing like theater for building compassion and empathy, where we get to, as Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird says, "put on someone else's shoes and walk around in them for a while".
We stand with all Black artists, friends, colleagues, and community members across the US.
We stand with protesters demanding justice.
We are listening to our Black brothers, sisters and folx and communities of color to hear what is needed.
We are resolved to harness this moment and make it a turning point for long-lasting meaningful change for a just and equal world.
Please raise your voice and give your support - in whatever way you can.
Find out more about how you can help:
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,
Black Lives Matter,
Southern Poverty Law Center,
Reclaim the Block
and here in VT:
Justice For All
Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington
Here are links our dear friend and colleague Meredith Watson (who sings for us below) asked that we provide the following links to show support for these most recent victims of police brutality and systematic racism:
George Floyd - gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
David McAtee : gofundme.com/f/justicefordavidmcatee
Mr. McAtee was shot and killed by police during a protest, even tho' he wasn't part of the protest. Here's an article:
courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2020/06/02/david-mcatee-gofundme-raises-money-family/3123311001/
Breonna Taylor. The police that killed her still haven't been arrested: standwithbre.com/
Meredith Watson, has worked with Lost Nation Theater since 2008. Now based in NYC, Meredith's been one of our favorite guest artists.
Please share your thoughts with us. We’d love to hear from you.
Hoping you, and all those you hold dear, are well.
here is a list of Black Owned Businesses if you'd like to show your support in this way
And here is an instructive, eloquent thoughtful statement from Trevor Noah: