A.R.T. To Present Community Ritual WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, will present the The Movement Theatre Company's (TMTC) production of What to Send Up When It Goes Down as part of the 2019/20 A.R.T. Breakout series.

The play-pageant-ritual-homecoming celebration by Aleshea Harris and directed by Whitney White (Macbeth in Stride) will perform November 14 - 16 at Hibernian Hall (184 Dudley Street, Roxbury) in Dudley Square and November 20 - 24 in the Ex Theater at the Loeb Drama Center (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge). Tickets are available now at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org.

What to Send Up was called "a truly remarkable new work" by The New York Times, which named the premiere production a Critic's Pick, and wrote, "If you're a lover of theater, looking for signs of fresh and original and in-the-moment life on American stage, you need to see What to Send Up."

What to Send Up When It Goes Down is a community ritual created in response to the deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence. As lines between characters and actors, observers and observed blur, a dizzying series of vignettes build to a climactic moment where performance and reality collide. Meant to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness and acknowledge the resilience of Black people throughout history, this theatrical work uses parody, song, movement, and audience participation to create a space for catharsis, reflection, cleansing, and healing. Learn more at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/What-To-Send-Up.

What to Send Up When It Goes Down is by Aleshea Harris. Direction is by Whitney White (Macbeth in Stride). Scenic Design is by Yu-Hsuan Chen, Costume design is by Andy Jean, Lighting Design is by Cha See, and Sound Design is by Sinan Refik Zafar. It is performed by Alana Raquel Bowers, Rachel Christopher, Ugo Chukwu, Kambi Gathesha, Nemuna Ceesay, Denise Manning, Javon Q. Minter, and Beau Thom.

What to Send Up When It Goes Down was developed at Automata Residency Project, Thymele Arts, and The Movement Theatre Company, which produced the New York premiere at the A.R.T./New York Theatres in the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre in November 2018.

What to Send Up When It Goes Down will play various locations in Washington, DC October 12 - 27, followed by a run at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC October 30 - November 10, 2019 before its run at the A.R.T.

PERFORMANCE DATES

At Madison Park Development Corporation's Hibernian Hall (184 Dudley Street, Roxbury):

• Thursday, November 14 at 7:30PM
• Friday, November 15 at 7:30PM
• Saturday, November 16 at 7:30PM

At the Ex Theater, Loeb Drama Center (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge)

• Wednesday, November 20 at 7:30PM
• Thursday, November 21 at 7:30PM
• Friday, November 22 at 7:30PM
• Saturday, November 23 at 2PM and 7:30PM
• Sunday, November 24 at 2PM and 7:30PM

Tickets start at $15 and are now available to performances at both venues online now at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org, by phone at 617.547.8300, and in person at the Loeb Drama Center Ticket Services Offices (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge). Discounts are available to A.R.T. Subscribers and Members, groups, students, seniors, Blue Star families, EBT card holders, and others.

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