Oakland University Will Present 'Facing Our Truth: 10-Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege'

Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present Facing Our Truth: 10-Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race, and Privilege from Dec 5-7 in the Varner Lab Theatre in Varner Hall.

"In light of the George Zimmerman verdict, The New Black Fest commissioned six very diverse playwrights to write 10-minute play on the topic of Trayvon Martin, race and/or privilege with the goal of inciting serious discussion in our collective communities around these urgent issues," said Director Kelli Crump, a lecturer at Oakland University.

The collection of plays includes The Ballad of George Zimmerman by Dan O'Brien in collaboration with the musician Quetzal Flores; Colored by Winter Miller; Night Vision by Dominique Morisseau; Dressing by Mona Mansour and Tala Manassah; No More Monsters Here by Marcus Gardley; and Some Other Kid by A. Rey Pamatmat.

"I selected Facing Our Truth because I was struck by the raw honesty and complexity of the writing by such a beautifully diverse collection of accomplished playwrights," Crump said. "I think our students can relate to a subject matter that was relevant to young people then as it is still relevant to young people today and they have a strong desire to be a part of this national conversation.

"I believe that we have a need and responsibility as artists to engage our communities in difficult conversations for the greater good of understanding each other and moving our society forward," she added. "I hope our audiences walk away talking to someone new and with a new appreciation of reality."

The plays are intended for mature audiences.

Tickets are $8 all seats and can be purchased online at www.etix.com. Please be advised that due to the nature of the setup of the Varner Studio Theatre and Varner Lab Theatre, patrons cannot be admitted or re-seated while a show is in progress.

Varner Hall is located at 371 Varner Drive on the campus of Oakland University.

For more information, email smtd@oakland.edu or call (248) 370-2030.