Play Focused On Evanston's Racial and Cultural Identity Returns

From the City of Evanston: The City of Evanston and Evanston Township High School have joined with Mudlark Theater and Art of Evolution Theatre to remount the original play, I.D., a show about racial and cultural identity in Evanston. I.D. examines both the burdens and privileges people inherited and how that continues to shape their personal relationships and communities.

The play opens on Friday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. and continues Sunday, February 4 at 3 p.m. and Monday through Wednesday, February 5 to February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place at the Little Theatre at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave., Evanston. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults and may be purchased online at www.mudlarktheater.org. The February 5 show is sold out.

I.D. was co-produced last year by Mudlark Theater and Art of Evolution Theatre as part of a year long partnership funded by the Evanston Community Foundation. The play premiered in November 2017 at the Noyes Street Theatre and features a diverse group of young people.

After witnessing the community’s powerful response to the play’s initial sold-out four-performance run in 2017, City of Evanston officials and local leaders sponsored the remount to provide more community members with the opportunity to see I.D. and to continue the constructive dialogue about race the show started. Evanston Township High School enthusiastically joined the effort.

I.D. was written and directed by Dru Smith (Mudlark Theater) and William Eason (Art of Evolution Theatre), who developed the script with input from the performers. Through a series of vignettes, with humor, heart, and hard honesty, I.D. challenges audiences to address their implicit biases with scenes about the segregation of school lunchrooms, the eight stages of achieving “wokeness,” and a child’s first jarring experience with racism.

The sponsoring partners expect that audiences will once again be challenged by what they see on stage, but also take it as an opportunity to talk more openly with one another. Immediately following the Opening Night performance on February 2, there will an opportunity for audience members to stay for a talkback to discuss the play and issues of race with the performers and directors. In addition, throughout the month of February, several community organizations will host talkbacks open to all community members who wish to continue the conversation and discuss race and equity issues.

As part of the City of Evanston’s Equity and Empowerment training, 120 City employees will attend the sold-out performance on Monday, February 5. Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty will lead the talkback discussion that evening.

For more information about the play or to purchase tickets, please visit www.mudlarktheater.org. For updates on the talkback sessions or the City’s Equity and Empowerment initiative, please call/text the City of Evanston’s 311 service at 847-448-4311. For convenience, you may dial 311 while in Evanston.

Photo, Image courtesy of the City of Evanston