American Stage Announces Erica Sutherlin As Director Of THE DUTCHMAN

American Stage's will finish their 21-22 season by presenting the classic drama The Dutchman by LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka. The Dutchman is a one-act play, written in the 1960s during the civil rights movement.

Erice Sutherlin will make her American Stage Mainstage directing debut with the Obie Award winning play. Sutherlin currently serves as American Stage's Director of Community Engagement and is also the Artist in Residence at Studio @620.

"To stand at the helm of The Dutchman, as director, comes with responsibility, both creative and communal," Sutherland explained. "The creative responsibility to bear witness to the work, bringing forth its truth and the communal responsibility to cultivate a bridgeway between the community and the art, that the art becomes an 'agent of change' stoking the communal flames for change."

Although the play is almost 60 years old, its story of political and psychological struggle between Black Americans and White Americans is still relevant today.

Sutherlin is joined by Partick Arthur Jackson, Associate Artistic Producer for American Stage, as Associate Director for The Dutchman.

"I am honored to serve as the associate director for our closing production of the season," said Jackson. "As a student of Theatre at Morehouse College, I gained a greater appreciation for Mr. Baraka's work."

The Dutchman is the last play written by LeRoi Jones, who later changed his name to Amiri Baraka. Baraka is credited as one of the driving forces of the Black Arts Movement. The play presents an encounter between a white woman, Lula, and a Black man, Clay, on a subway car in New York City. The interaction takes a tragic turn and is used as a metaphor for race relations in America.

Jackson explained, "The Dutchman forces us to look at the continued challenges we face as an American society around race. We must take time to question our disregard for an individual's humanity simply based on the color of their skin and ask ourselves the question: What is the cost of Equality? What are we (each of us) willing to lose? What are we willing to gain?"

Sutherlin added, "It is powerful theatre, created for conversation, it lingers with you on purpose, encouraging your consciousness to demand you to question your choices, your biases, your reactions. Our world is in a great upheaval - equality, diversity and inclusion is the topic of our lives now, so yes The Dutchman holds relevance today."

The Dutchman will be performed at the Raymond James Theatre June 29th through July 31st. Tickets are available at americanstage.org.