Dominique Morisseau's DETROIT '67 to be Presented at Temple Theaters

In 1967 Detroit, the music of Motown is getting the party started. With these backbeats as their backdrop, Chelle and her brother Lank make ends meet by opening their basement as an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman comes into their lives, the siblings clash over much more than the family business. As their pent-up feelings erupt, so does the city, flaring into a tragic riot that threatens to destroy their lives.

Written by Obie Award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau, and directed by Temple Professor Amina Robinson, Detroit '67 performs at the Randall Theater on January 29th, 30th, 31st, and February 2nd at 7:30pm, and January 31st and February 1st at 2pm. 

Detroit '67 premiered in 2013 at The Public Theater, in association with the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the National Black Theatre. It is the second installment in Morisseau's The Detroit Project, a three play cycle centered on her hometown of Detroit. It went on to win the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and was last performed in the Philadelphia region at The McCarter Theater in 2018. PhillyMag called the production "A big play with big ideas," and the Detroit Free Press has called the play, "must-see theater."

Director Amina Robinson says that Detroit '67 is "an excellent opportunity for our students to explore and learn about this period in our history."

"It is so rewarding to work with them, see them challenged by the material, and grow as artists," says Robinson. "I hope audiences walk away with a greater sense of responsibility for one another, a greater sense of community, and a fire to cease the strife that is born of and persists through the ways we have been divided as a society."