Interview: Talvin Wilks of LOCOMOTION at Children's Theatre Company

"Locomotion takes the audience into the life of 11-year-old Lonnie Motion, as he finds new tools - the result of a school poetry assignment - which help him to process the tumult of life in foster care. As Lonnie discovers the power of poetry, he experiences deeper connections to his new foster mother, his school friend Enrique, his teacher Ms. Marcus, and his beloved younger sister Lili."

We chat with Tavin Wilks the director for Locomotion about this production.

What can you tell us about this production of Locomotion at the Children's Theatre Company?
Well, I think that it is a production for all ages. There is a young eleven year old protagonist who finds himself struggling through the foster care system as he tries to stay connected to his sister and hold onto a sense of family. It is a play adapted by Jacqueline Woodson from her Young Adult novel, Locomotion, which itself is quite unique because it is a story told through a series of poems. This has made for a very unique theatrical style that travels back and forth in time. The first production was at the Kennedy Center in 2010, it is now 2023. Our production seeks to speak to the current moment and utilizes some incredible collaborative design elements that help to make it fresh and new.

Do you have a favorite moment in the show?
One of my favorite moments is one of the most challenging. Lonnie, the protagonist of the story, is struggling to complete a poem about the last night he spent with his parents. The break through comes from his best friend adapting a Langston Hughes poem, Dream Variations, into a rap. The joy and rhythm of the rap reminds Lonnie of a memory of his mother and he begins to hear or perhaps remember the poem sung through her voice, from there he is able to finally face the events of their tragic death. This is all told through his own poem. It is a very challenging sequence of events because it involves rap, original music and the use of many voices to find a singular truth. It is a beautifully poetic sequence that I'm still in the process of staging to do it justice.

Why is this story of Locomotion important to share?
The complexities and challenges of the foster care system are often misunderstood and misrepresented. We learn more by trying to understand the experience from a young person's perspective. In our current era of diverse storytelling, in support of a more varied and vibrant landscape of cultures, Locomotion is a very important work. The opportunity to see a young black male protagonist's journey as a universal story of overcoming hardships and the challenges of adolescence is vital and revelatory. Universality does not defy specificity; it thrives on the specific understanding of a world, a community and a young life. That the Children's Theatre Company is making a commitment to diversifying the canon of young protagonists is an important and vibrant investment, not only for youths of color to see themselves and their experiences on stage, but for all youth to begin to broaden their understanding of universality, the act of seeing one's self through the lives of others. This opportunity is a great gift for our new era of awareness, and Woodson has created a story for everyone, a story that I am very excited to realize on stage.

What do you hope the audience takes away from seeing this production?
This is always a difficult question for me to answer, for some reason interviewers love to ask it. I don't think in terms of what I want an audience to take away, my goal is to stage the best manifestation of a work on stage. I want people to fully experience all that is possible inside of a particular play and I hope that my staging has not gotten in the way of that experience. The specifics of the "take aways" are multifaceted. Perhaps a playwright has a particular expectation of what an audience should take away, I'm always just thrilled that an audience member has come to experience live theatre and learned something about the human heart, human condition and our human capacity for good in whatever form, transcendence or transformation.

What are your favorite local spots?
Although I've lived in the Twin Cities for six years, I still feel like somewhat of a transplant. I'm a foodie, so my favorite local spots are restaurants, two of my favorites are Martina and Café Alma. I've also become quite fond of Handsome Hog and Revival in St. Paul. Nightingale is a big favorite, especially for late night fare. I have yet to score a reservation at Owamni when I've needed it, but I will.

Thank you Tavin for your time!

For more ticket and show information, please click the ticket link button below.