Cast of Blood at the Root, (by Dominique Morisseau), talking with DEARTS students, 2020
Photo copyright Paul R Solomon, 2020
Cast of Dominique Morisseau’s Blood at the Root
Dominique Morisseau’s script Blood at the Root is based on the story of the Jena Six; six Black Louisiana high school students who in 2006, were charged with attempted murder after being confronted by nooses hanging from a tree on campus. The play dares the viewer to place blame on any character without profoundly questioning one’s own biases. Taking all of our students to see Blood at the Root in groups on three successive nights so that we could be accommodated in the black box theatre where the play was staged. Director and Professor Mark Liermann of the Department of Theatre brought the cast to our classroom in advance of the performances so that students could hear from their peers who played these complex characters. The photograph here was made in the theatre after one of the performances.