Detroit ’67 takes place nearly 50 years ago in that Motor and Music Mecca in Michigan, 656 miles away from Chapel Hill. The subject matter, however, feels immediate to us now as similar stories play out just down the road at this very moment. For David Adamson, the events of Detroit ’67 are especially close. David and his wife were living in Detroit in 1967.

DirectorLisa Rothe has been captivated by the story of Detroit ’67 since she saw its premiere in 2013 at the Public Theater. “At the heart of it all is a family, and everyone can relate to that on some level. We experience their love, anger, joy, loneliness, passion & rage as if it were our own,” she relates.

Rehearsals for The Crucible are underway! The entire team gathered for the first time on September 30 to start this important and exciting journey together.

Take a listen to PlayMakers’ playlist as you get ready to see the show, and enjoy the soundtrack of Detroit in 1967.

Despite a history of prosperity, technological innovations, a powerful and lasting Union Movement, and a rich influence on the arts and music scene, Detroit was not immune to the racial tensions, economic disparity and civil unrest of the late 60s. On Sunday, July 23 in 1967, when the 12th Street riot erupted in the early hours after a raid on an unlicensed after-hours bar, the fate of this once booming blue collar town took a turn for the worse.

“I’m a native Detroiter, so this is a way to explain my history and my city. It’s an important landscape to me. It helped to shape the landscape we have now. I wanted to offer a human face to it for all of us – those of us who have lived there and those who have not.” -Dominique Morriseau

We have been receiving so many heartfelt responses from our audience letting us know how deeply moved they have been by Deen’s Draw the Circle. One sent us a note to say, “Though I consider myself very open to life lived in any configuration, I experienced angles I had not understood before. This was a gift.” Another responded by writing us, “Draw the Circle was one of the most profound and life-changing performances I have ever seen.”

We always encourage our audiences to go deeper and be part of the conversation. If Draw the Circle leaves you wanting to learn more or do more, please visit the links listed here.