Havens and healing with Congo Square Theatre’s What to send up when it goes down
Jos N. Banks in Congo Square Theatre’s production of What to Send Up When It Goes Down at Lookingglass Theatre. Photo by Sulyiman Stokes
Congo Square Theatre in-residence at Lookingglass Theatre has brought back their acclaimed production of Aleshea Harris’ What to Send Up When It Goes Down until Oct. 16. An urgent response to the ongoing loss of Black lives, Congo Square Theatre gives audiences an intimate ritual-celebration to open up new discourse and allow communities to heal. Artistic director, Ericka Ratcliff, directed the production and spoke to us about being a haven, providing communities with healing tools and why we need to keep talking.
Q. What to Send Up When It Goes Down is not the typical play experience. There is a mixture of techniques being used and the performers are themselves instead of playing set characters. What is your favorite way to describe this style of performance?
A. What to send Up is a ritual with performance elements but a ritual 1st and foremost. A play that is part performance, and part healing ritual honoring those lost to racist violence. The practice of mourning and celebrating the life of those taken is an effort that we take quite seriously. In order for the audience to experience the healing tools we have to try them out and so we actively do that each night.
Q. The show is a response to the ongoing violence against Black lives, and while important conversations are being sparked, the overwhelming outcome post performance seems to be joy and healing. Can you talk about how you take something so cruel, gratuitous and current and turn it into an opportunity that goes beyond hope?
A. Well, that is the purpose of the work. Systematic racism and white supremacy is abundant to break the spirit of the people it oppresses. It is so ingrained in the DNA of this country and world that we eat so much of it and the effect of that is detrimental to our health and well being. Who can exist like that? What To Send Up When It Goes Down aims to give folks an outlet and tools to help to keep us all safe, supported and well for the ish (racism, supremacy, murder) that don’t stop.
Q. This will be the play's second run at Lookingglass, what was the catalyst for bringing the show back?
A. This is actually the 1st run at Lookingglass. In our initial offering of the show we were in residence on the Westside at Gray Gallery and on the Southside at Rebuild Foundation's Stony Island Arts Bank. It was important for us to have the work be in the community of those who we hope to serve with it. Our collaboration with Lookingglass brings us to a central location in the city to hopefully reach even more folks.
Q. The set is minimal, putting a huge focus on the people, how do these stylistic choices amplify the story?
A. We wanted the set to be minimal mostly to accommodate it needing to travel for our multiple locations so it was important that it was minimal and impactful. We wanted to make an effort for the set to set up the idea of found space.
And since the work is for and with the people we surely wanted to make sure that was the focus.
Q. What to Send Up When It Goes Down is a true acknowledgment of what members of the Black community have experienced and still are experiencing, can you talk about why Congo Theatre saw the importance of discussing these issues with this style of ritualistic, pageant-like work?
A. Congo Square Theatre Company is an ensemble dedicated to producing transformative work rooted in the African Diaspora. We are a haven for artists of color to challenge and redefine the theatrical canon by amplifying and creating stories that reflect the reach and complexities of Black Culture.
The murder of so many black lives is a HUGE part of our culture. We have to talk about it. It’s on our communities hearts and minds. Aleshea's play was a blessing for us to be able to do so.
