This Fall, Local Theaters Stage Forgotten Histories for Americans of Color

Since January, there’s been a surplus of news stories on the federal government’s attempts to control historical narratives around Americans of color, removing references from government websites, the Smithsonian Institution, and National Parks. But that doesn’t mean those histories don’t deserve to be told. This fall, four local stages are producing stories about our country’s past oppressions, racial stereotypes, and the violence against immigrants. The shows themselves, however, are full of humor—using comedy and art as a way to encourage audiences to connect 19th and 20th century events to the present day.

Now playing at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is Nia Akilah Robinson’s The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents Into a Dollar), which follows two Black mother-daughter duos in Phi