The Democracy Project

Tanya Barfield, Lisa D'Amour, Larissa FastHorse, Melissa James Gibson, and Bruce Norris, with songs by Michael R. Jackson

Democracy is in trouble—the show is, at least. Federal Hall is presenting a play about the birth of American democracy, and one of the actors is sick, forcing tour guide Alicia to step into a role. But Alicia, a Black woman, experiences the show differently than her predecessor, and as she reenacts key moments in American history, she starts to question how wise the founders actually were—especially if the Bill of Rights was basically an afterthought. As the production begins to unravel, the actor portraying the Chief of the Creek Nation, Alexander McGillvray, starts to wonder if going back to our nation’s roots means that everyone but the Indigenous people should leave, which opens up bigger questions about the country’s land, its inhabitants, and ownership. Democracy is like theatre, sometimes the collaboration is smooth, sometimes messy, sometimes hilarious, sometimes unnerving—but you’ll get a show nonetheless.

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