USM Theatre presents Detroit ’67 by Dominique Morisseau
Tue, 10/26/2021 - 03:18pm | By: Ivonne Kawas
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Theatre Program, housed in the School
of Performing and Visual Arts, will dramatize an explosive moment in American history,
one that continues to reverberate today with Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit ’67. In-person and live stream tickets are available.
The production will be on Oct. 28, 29, and 30 at 7:30 p.m. A matinée performance will take place on Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 seniors, military, faculty and staff, and $8 for students. In-person performance is in the Gilbert F. Hartwig Theatre in the Theatre and Dance Building on the Hattiesburg Campus.
A.C. Bledsoe, the sound designer for the performance, describes his experience working on the set as an honor and a distinct privilege.
“Music has the power to connect us all as individuals,” said Bledsoe. “It is a critical component of Detroit ’67, as each character has at least one moment in the production to express their love for the music of Motown, and that has been a fundamental aspect of the sound design for this show.”
“Together, with the music, the sounds of Detroit ’67 set the atmosphere of the experience, and I hope the audience finds the choices the design team and I have made with our director to be impactful and supportive of the themes within the story,” Bledsoe added.
Detroit ’67 dramatizes an explosive moment in American history, telling the story of conflicting siblings against a backdrop of the race riots that shook Detroit, Michigan, in the summer of 1967, while incorporating themes of friendship and love.
“The inspirational songs are not just Motown songs, or songs from the setting of the play, and the Motown selections used within the show are not just randomly chosen, but altogether are a translation of the themes and struggles of each character within the production in a way that I hope a modern audience can relate to and appreciate.”