Dallas Children’s Theater partners with DC youth theater, Imagination Stage, to host a play that reflects real conversations between young people of color and police officers.
The newly-commissioned film, and screening on April 29, 2021,
seeks to reimagine relationships between students and police
Register for the 90-minute virtual event here or https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p_wBG6qHTzaWWdXQ8MYiNA
DALLAS, TX (April 14, 2021). On Thursday, April 29 at 5:30 PM (Central Standard Time), Dallas Children’s Theater in collaboration with show producer, Imagination Stage, invites the community to join us for a virtual screening of this filmed stage play 10 Seconds. The 45-minute screening will be followed by a 30-minute live panel discussion. Appropriate for ages 13 and up, the event is a part of the theaters’ continuing commitment to using the power of their medium to spark important conversations around tough topics.
Based in Washington, DC, Imagination Stage’s 10 Seconds, written by Miriam Gonzales and directed by LeeAnét Noble,explores a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold. Life can often feel unnerving — and can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye depending on how we see each other. Ray and Jimi are Washington, DC high school students who navigate their young adult worlds and what it means to be young Black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day — and “ten seconds” inside that day — that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter. Through audience engagement and interactive moments, the film provides opportunities for reflection and discussion. By “stopping time,” the audience is asked to imagine what might happen if everyone makes the effort to pause, listen to one another, question our assumptions, and consider the possibilities for change.
The event includes a virtual, interactive follow-up discussion, featuring a panel of subject matter resources who will discuss policing on a national level and how dynamics can be permanently changed when support groups work collaboratively and intentionally together. Facilitating is Denise Lee, Dallas Children’s Theatre Social Justice Strategist and founder of Visions for Change, Inc. Panelists include: Officer Devalon Lee-Arkansas of the Dallas Police Department’s (DPD) Youth Outreach Unit; Shontay Miles-Davis, former Metropolitan Police Department (DC) officer; Makenzie Grier, high school senior and member of the DPD Youth Leadership Council; and, from 10 Second’s creative team, playwright Miriam Gonazles and actor Tre’mon Mills.
Joanne Seelig Lamparter, Imagination Stage’s Artistic Director of Education and Theatre for Change, says “10 Seconds is a wonderful opportunity to challenge our audiences about the quick assumptions we all make of one another on a personal level. It takes a deep look into the ways systemic racism plays out in our communities while providing an opportunity to reimagine the future.”
DCT Executive Director Robyn Flatt agrees with Joanne and believes that this event is a natural extension of the theater’s own recent social justice work. Flatt stated, “Theater provides a real gathering place for these important conversations. I believe it is incumbent upon us to use our resources to help address these tough topics and ultimately solve these systemic problems that plague us.”
Flatt also shared that she has had an interest in this project from the beginning. “I was moved by this idea when I heard about it three years ago. I am grateful to Imagination Stage for allowing us to be a part of the premiere. They and the playwright have spent over three years in conversation with young people and members of law enforcement. Combined with the audience to help determine the end of the story, I think this production makes for a very powerful experience, and I hope people will take advantage of it.”
Dallas Children’s Theater’s Social Justice Initiative is funded with support from the Melinda and Jim Johnson Family Fund, the MR and Evelyn Hudson Foundation and Deborah and Craig Sutton/Rasa Floors and North Texas Cares. Imagination Stage’s 10 Secondsproductionis funded in part by a grant from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America.
*photos courtesy of Imagination Stage
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
10 Seconds
CAST
Travis Xavier Brown Ray
Katie Wicklund Kent
Dylan J. Fleming Leland
Tre’mon Mills Jimi
PRODUCTION TEAM
LeeAnét Noble Director
Miriam Gonzales Playwright
Tyrese Rowe Assistant Playwright
Roc Lee Sound Designer
Mollie Singer Set Designer
Kiana Vincenty Costume Designer
Johnathan Alexander Lighting Designer
Diallo Adams Stage Manager
ABOUT DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER
Dallas Children’s Theater features professional actors performing for an annual audience of 250,000 young people and their families through mainstage productions, a national touring company, and an arts-in-education program.
As the only major organization in Dallas focusing solely on youth and family theater, DCT builds bridges of understanding between generations and cultures, instilling an early appreciation of literature, art, and the performing arts in tomorrow’s artists and patrons.
2020-21 Season Sponsors are:
Texas Instruments, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, The Shubert Foundation, TACA, The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Anonymous Family, The Carlson Foundation, March Family Foundation, and Hoblitzelle Foundation.
General Sponsors Include:
The Rosewood Corporation, Lisa K Simmons, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, Inc., Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, and Vibeke Jarnum & Niels Anderskouv.
Additional Support is Provided By:
Capital for Kids, TXU Energy, Frost Bank, Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, The Hersh Foundation, Stephen M. Seay Foundation, Orien Levy Woolf & Dr. Jack Woolf Charitable Trust, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Perot Foundation, Legacy Texas Bank, Which Wich, Maintenance Inc., and Green Mountain Energy, DCT’s official renewable energy partner.
Sensory-Friendly Sponsors Include: The Melinda & Jim Johnson Family Charitable Fund, Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, and The Sapphire Foundation. In loving memory of Kory Ballard.
Building Fund Supported By: The Carlson Foundation, The March Family Foundation, Laurie Sands Harrison, The Rosewood Corporation, Anonymous Family, Elizabeth & Bart Showalter, Karen & Ken Travis, The Hersh Foundation, and Everett & Becky Spaeth.
National Touring Sponsor and Brighter Days Sustainability Campaign: Neiman Marcus.
ABOUT IMAGINATION STAGE
Imagination Stage is a Holistic Theatre Arts Organization for all children and youth. Through award-winning professional theatre, arts education, and community-based theatre programming, we develop a deep appreciation of theatre arts, while building a sense of self and social understanding.
We are a place where children are always central to our purpose. We respect and empower the voices of children of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, to help them succeed in today’s world with empathy, confidence, joy, and imagination!
We are a creative community for all children, building a culture that is crucial for a theatre arts-enriched future. And we have been around long enough to know the value of this philosophy. Founded over 40 years ago, we nurture future generations to be the truest version of themselves.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
