Luna Stage And SOPAC Present WHEN THEY GO LOW: A Solo Conversation With Rajesh Bose

Luna Stage announces When They Go Low, a solo conversation with Rajesh Bose about race in America, streaming on October 16, 18, and 19 at 8pm on Luna's live stream channels.

Presented in collaboration with the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), Bose's conversations will be followed by virtual group discussions facilitated by Emmy-nominated TV producer Riaz Patel, who creates perspective-shifting experiences that inspire real-world change. Advance registration is required for this free event at lunastage.org/when-they-go-low.

This truthful, hard-hitting look at the state of our country examines race in America, asking "how exactly do we go high?" New York-based actor and writer Bose says there were two moments that led to the creation of this piece: the 2016 election and a defining encounter with a stranger, the central event of his solo conversation. "I'm exploring how we respond to violence," says Bose. "Should our response to violence be civic engagement? Should it be something else? At what point is civic engagement simply naive or not enough?"

The goal of the evening is not to provoke conflict, but to offer an opportunity for constructive listening and dialogue. Bose's story will launch a community conversation facilitated by Patel, Emmy-nominated TV producer and creator of The EPIC System, a new framework that changes how we talk about divisive issues, which was recently profiled in Forbes, The Washington Post, CNN, The Blaze, The Daily Beast and The Huffington Post.

Audience members will be invited to participate in the dialogue along with Bose and Patel.

"At this moment in history, open and connecting conversation has become increasingly rare as we are isolated by the pandemic and separated by social media," says Patel. "And yet it's the only way to truly understand each other. Great theatre can spark great conversations. Rajesh's humanizing work is the perfect launch pad to talk about where we are in 2020 - and where we hope to go."

On October 16, 18, and 19 at 8pm, When They Go Low will stream on Facebook Live and YouTube. The performance will subsequently be available on Luna Stage's website. Advance registration is required for this free event at lunastage.org/when-they-go-low.

When They Go Low is part of Luna Stage's Voting Writes Project, a two-month interdisciplinary arts event featuring commissioned plays, films, a concept album, a virtual dance party, and other interactive experiences celebrating civic engagement in the November 2020 election.

The Voting Writes Project is created in collaboration with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, and supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. It features commissioned virtual concept albums and short films, plays, and other interactive experiences. All events are open and free to the public, though registration for When They Go Low is required. A complete calendar can be found at https://www.lunastage.org/votingwrites.

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