WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN is a play-pageant-ritual-homegoing celebration in response to the physical and spiritual deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence. Meant to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-blackness and acknowledge the resilience of Black people throughout history, this theatrical work uses parody, song, and movement in a series of vignettes to create a space for catharsis, reflection, cleansing and healing. Boundaries blur as the audience is asked to not only observe the performance, but participate in the ritual as well.
WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN will “move” throughout DC, beginning with venues operating at the intersection of black social and cultural life, before landing at Woolly in the fall of 2019.