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THE PECULIAR PATRIOT

By Liza Jessie Peterson

February 8 - March 5, 2023

‘Betsy’ LaQuanda Ross knows a lot about the New York State Penitentiary system.

The Peculiar Patriot was inspired by her comprehensive and extensive work in prisons, including on Riker’s Island.
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Her regular visits to loved ones in various upstate institutions have made her quite the expert and a self-proclaimed “Peculiar Patriot.” In-between neighborhood updates and gossip, Betsy educates herself and the audience on the systemic inequity within America’s prison complex system and its effect on those behind bars, as well as their family and friends. Written and performed by the incomparable Liza Jessie Peterson, The Peculiar Patriot was inspired by her comprehensive and extensive work in prisons, including on Riker’s Island. Peterson’s tour de force solo piece is an important, funny, and profound investigative look into America’s criminal justice system.

The Peculiar Patriot marks the first time Detroit Public Theatre and Shakespeare in Prison are directly connecting a DPT production with our signature community program—through the play itself and a post-show dialogue after every performance.

Meet The Artist

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Liza Jessie Peterson

Producing Advisor

Liza Jessie Peterson // Performer/Playwright is an artivist; an actress, playwright, poet, author and youth advocate who has worked steadfastly with incarcerated populations for more than two decades. Her critically acclaimed one woman show, The Peculiar Patriot, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, Elliot Norton and a recipient of a Lilly Award. The play is also available on Audible. Liza performed The Peculiar Patriot in 35 prisons across the country and a documentary, Angola Do You Hear Us; Voices from a Plantation Prison, features her historic performance of the play at Louisiana State Penitentiary (aka Angola). The documentary can be seen streaming on Paramount Plus and has made the prestigious shortlist for an Academy Award.

Liza is author of a memoir, ALL DAY; A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island  (Hachette publishing) and was commissioned by The Old Globe Theater to adapt the book into a stage play. Liza was featured in Ava DuVernay’s Emmy award winning documentary, 13th, and was a consultant on Bill Moyers’ documentary Rikers (PBS).

Also known for her exceptional poetic skills, Liza began her poetry career at the Nuyorican Poets Café and appeared on two episodes of HBO’s Def Poetry.

Liza appeared in Showtime’s mini-series, Everything’s Gonna Be All White, by Sacha Jenkins. She can be seen in A Luv Tale (BETplus), Love the Hard Way (co-starring with Pam Grier and Adrien Brody), Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and K. Shalini’s A Drop of Life. 

Liza wrote and starred in two short films, MERLINA and Black Love Manifesto.

For more info on her projects, visit her website at www.lizajessiep.com.

Meet The Creative Team

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Talvin Wilks

Director

Talvin Wilks // Director is a playwright, director and dramaturg based in Minneapolis and New York City. His plays include Tod, the boy, Tod, The Trial of Uncle S&M, Bread of Heaven, An American Triptych, Jimmy and Lorraine: A Musing, and As I Remember It with Carmen de Lavallade. Directing Credits: The White Card, This Bitter Earth, Benevolence, The Ballad of Emmett Till (Penumbra Theatre), The Peculiar Patriot (NBT/Woolly Mammoth), Parks (History Theatre), Cannabis: A Viper Vaudeville (HERE Arts/La Mama) and The Till Trilogy (Mosaic Theatre). He is a co-writer/co-director for Ping Chong’s ongoing series of Undesirable Elements and Collidescope: Adventures in Pre- and Post-Racial America. Dramaturgy Credits:  for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enough (2022 Broadway Revival), Dreaming Zenzile (New York Theatre Workshop/NBT), Between the World and Me (The Apollo), Scat!, Walkin’ with ‘Trane (Urban Bush Women), ink, Black Girl: Linguistic Play, Mr. TOL E. RanCE (Camille A. Brown and Dancers), In a Rhythm, A History, Necessary Beauty, Landing-Place, Verge (Bebe Miller Company). He is an Associate Professor in the Theatre Arts and Dance Department, University of Minnesota/Twin Cities, and is a 2020 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow and a 2022 McKnight Presidential Fellow.



5

Andrew Cissna

Scenic and Lighting Design

Andrew Cissna // Set and Lighting Designer Regional: Washington DC – 1984 (Catalyst Theatre Company, Helen Hayes Nomination); Sex with Strangers, John (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes Nominations); Fences, One Destiny (Ford’s Theatre); The Peculiar Patriot (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company); Murder Ballad, Queen of Basel (Studio Theatre); Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Gem of the Ocean, Ironbound, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Helen Hayes nomination) (Round House Theatre); Mockingbird, Blues Journey, Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe, and American Scrapbook (Kennedy Center); Love Sick, After the Revolution, Yentl (Theater J); Passion for Justice (Olney Theatre Center); Passion Play, Valparaiso (Forum Theatre); Blue/Orange, In On It, Gross Indecency (Theatre Alliance). Cincinnati, OH – Jitney (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Milwaukee, WI – Noises Off, Harvey (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre). Juneau, AK – Noises Off (Perseverance Theatre Company).  Andrew holds a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and an MFA from the University of Maryland.



5

Katherine-Freer

Projection Design

Katherine Freer // Projection Designer (she/her) is a multimedia artist, filmmaker, organizer and educator whose artistic practice lives at the intersection of story, technology and civic engagement. Frequent collaborators include Ping Chong, Ty Defoe, Kamilah Forbes, Steve H. Broadnax III, Lux Haac, Porsche McGovern, Liza Jessie Peterson, Talvin Wilks, and Tamilla Woodard. She is a proud member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829. Core collaborator in All My Relations Collective. Interim Head of Integrated Media Program, University of Texas at Austin. www.katherinefreer.com

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LaToya Murray-Berry

Costume Design

Latoya Murray-­Berry // Costume Designer has evolved from a personal designer during her college years, recognized at an early age a Boston native, now Designer, 764 Costumer and Fashion Stylist, with a degree in Psychology. Driven by her zeal for fashion, Latoya’s styling journey within the music industry she apprenticed under some of the industry’s most influential stylists. During her 12+ year career she has curated signature looks and style collaborations with the world’s most esteemed celebrities. Ms. Berry is an avid believer of community service; her passion for charitable giving has remained unchanged. Undaunted and unstoppable, Latoya continues to build her legacy.

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Luqman Brown

Sound Design

Luqman Brown // Sound Designer Broadway: Hot Wing King (Signature Theater); Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll’d (Duke  Theater); Hurt Village (Signature Theater). Off Broadway: Three Musketeers (Classical Theater of  Harlem); The Peculiar Patriot (National Black Theater); Adoration of an Old Woman (Inter Theater); Detroit 67,(Julliard); ACE (Lyle Courtney Production); El Coqui  Spectacular and the Bottle of Doom (La Vega Production); White People (Fordham University Theater); Cock Fight (Fordham University Theater); 12 Angry Men (Billie Holiday Theater); Br’er Rabbit the Opera: A Funky Meditation on Gentrification And How to Survive (BRIC); Seed (National Black Theater). Regional: Legacy Land (KC Rep); America V2.1 The sad Demise and Eventual Extinction of the American Negro (Barrington  Stage); What You Are (The Old Globe); The Corpse Washer, How to Defend Yourself, We’ve Come to Believe (Original Music for); Everybody Black (Humana Fest 2019); Skeleton Crew (TheaterSquared); Chad Deity (Also Rep); Sense & Sensibility (Cape Fear Theater); The Parchment  Hour (Guthrie Theater); An Oresteia (Rutgers Theater).

5

Belynda M’Baye

Props Design

Belynda M’Baye // Props Manager is a New York based props manager and stage manager with experience working mainly with new development plays. It was a tremendous experience working on the world premiere of this powerful play, The Peculiar Patriotat the National Black Theatre in NYC, Lincoln Center, Angola, and Brown University, as Props Manager.  Other recent Prop Manager credits: NBT – The Gospel Woman; First Deep Breath ( NYC), Dead and Breathing (NYC), Carnaval to NYC) , 125th & Freedom ( NBT/ NYC). Belynda is delighted to have worked with playwrights Mfoniso Udofia, Lee Edward Colton II, Liza Jessie Peterson, and Aurin Squire, to name a few. New plays with producing teams including Harlem 9, The New Black Fest, Now Africa, and Springboard @ Lincoln Center. Stage Manager for festivals: NYMF, NAMT Festivals, Going Down To The River Festival. Belynda is Program Manager of the Soul Series L.A.B – I Am Soul Residency Program for Playwrights, Directors and Producers at The National Black Theatre.

5

Doran Konja

Stage Manager

Doran Konja (he/him) – Doran is a Theatre Artist and Grant Writer that is more than excited to be back for DPT’s 9th Season. As a local Chaldean artist, he deeply appreciates DPT’s efforts to reflect the unique and diverse communities in Detroit through the work we produce. Some of his most memorable credits outside of DPT were with Shakespeare in Detroit (Detroit), The In[HEIR]itance Project (Detroit), The Agency (Chicago), and The New Coordinates (Chicago).

5

Badriyyah Wazeerud-Din

Assistant Stage Manager

Badriyyah is delighted to be a part of the DPT family. She has worked on DPT productions Mud Row, Noura, Peculiar Patriot (build crew/light board), and Detroit ’67 On Tour & Passing Strange (ASM). She has been a stage manager and production assistant for the African World Festival, and a stage manager for the Obsidian Theatre Festival. As a resident of Detroit, DPT’s creative space in the community resonates deeply with her, where diverse and powerful stories come to life. She loves the performing arts and has appeared in musical theatre productions and has performed as an instrumentalist. Badriyyah is a captivating singer-songwriter, recording, and voiceover artist who enjoys performing and telling stories through music. She has performed and recorded with many artists including Painted Pictures, Malik Alston & The Linwood Ensemble, Sean Blackman, and Veronique. Her current well-received vinyl EP project is “You Are The One” (Truth Manifest Records). Family and friends bring her the greatest blessings and joy. IG: @badriyyahthesinger

5

James Blaszko

Tour Producer

James Blaszko // Tour Producer (he/him) directs and produces work that shows “the potential our increasingly multidisciplinary future holds for both theatrical innovation and inclusion” (Howlround.com). His work with Liza Jessie Peterson on The Peculiar Patriot and Down the Rabbit Hole has been seen in theaters, prisons, and universities in Brooklyn, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Vermont. Blaszko has staged several operas and devised works across the globe, including Puccini’s Il Trittico at Daegu Opera House (South Korea), the opening ceremony of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (Zimbabwe), Puccini and Verdi Play Ball at Tulsa Opera on their city’s baseball stadium, and Yuval Sharon’s reverse-order La bohéme at Boston Lyric Opera. He is based in Central Harlem, but remains in Detroit for the full run of The Peculiar Patriot as he directs Handel’s Xerxes at Detroit Opera. @jamesblaszko 

5

Brad Learmonth

Producing Advisor

Brad Learmonth // Arts Advisor As the director of programming at Harlem Stage, where he worked for 28 years (1988-2015), Brad developed unique and nurturing platforms for visionary artists of color in all disciplines and at all levels to create work that was risk-taking, transformative, and responsive to the culture and issues that shape our lives. Along with Pat Cruz, he received the 2014 William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Brad has been a supporter of Liza Jesse Peterson’s work for over 20 years, including early support for the nascent The Peculiar Patriot. He currently serves as president of the board of One Spirit Learning Alliance, where he received his training in ministry, spiritual companioning and emergent leadership. Brad also serves on the advisory committee of Project EATS. In the past, Brad served on the BESSIE Committee and the Task Force for Inclusion and Equity of the New York City Arts Education roundtable. Brad lives in NYC and Sag Harbor with his husband Jon Gilman, their three rescue dogs and a garden that embodies beauty and sacred healing. 



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