WELCOME TO BRAGGSVILLE
by T. Geronimo Johnson
Adapted by Josh Aaseng
and Daemond Arrindell (Book-It debut)
Directed by Josh Aaseng (Slaughterhouse-Five, Jesus’ Son)
Pay-What-You-Will: June 7
Preview: June 8, 9
Opening Night: Saturday, June 10, 2017
June 7 – July 2, 2017
The show runs approx. 2 hours and 40 minutes including one intermission. Mature content including strong language, slurs, some violence, and potentially triggering situations such as racist imagery.
A world-premiere adaptation of T. Geronimo Johnson’s novel, Welcome to Braggsville, An astonishing, razor-sharp satire of contemporary American issues. The story follows D’aron Davenport from Braggsville, Georgia and his three college friends, whose personal tragedy becomes the center of a national media storm. With a sincere heart, this coming-of-age novel for a new generation intimately explores how all Americans are linked to — and culpable in — the country’s racial injustices.
“The most dazzling, most unsettling, most oh-my-God-listen-up novel you’ll read this year.”
“… T. Geronimo Johnson, plays cultural criticism like it’s acid jazz. His shockingly funny story pricks every nerve of the American body politic.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post
Beyond-the-Book Events
Conversations that both illuminate Book-It’s production of Welcome to Braggsville and act as catalysts for deeper exploration of the book’s themes. Each event is open to the public:
Welcome to Braggsville Panel Discussion
The Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas’ Executive Director Sharon Nyree Williams will moderate a panel talk and follow-up Q&A pertaining to the work of CD Forum and spoken word in Seattle guiding a conversation around issues in the story Welcome to Braggsville. Panelists include Professor Scott Magelssen (University of Washington), Dr. Katrina M. Sanford (Earth Pearl Collective) Dan Shih (Board Member of ACLU of Washington), and Tina LaPadula (Teaching Artist, Culture Worker, Arts and Equity Consultant).
Sunday, June 11 following the 2pm matinée at The Center Theatre at the Armory (305 Harrison St.)
FREE
KUOW’s Front Row Center with Marcie Sillman
Join KUOW’s Marcie Sillman for a conversation after Welcome to Braggsville with co-adapter/director Josh Aaseng and co-adapter Daemond Arrindell.
Saturday, June 17 following the 2pm matinée at The Center Theatre at the Armory (305 Harrison St.)
FREE
A Conversation with T. Geronimo Johnson
Hailed by The New York Times as the “funniest sendup of identity politics, the academy and white racial anxiety to hit the scene in years,” Welcome to Braggsville is a razor-sharp satire of contemporary American issues. Join author T. Geronimo Johnson as well as co-adapters Josh Aaseng and Daemond Arrindell for a conversation that explores the themes of this darkly humorous novel.
Saturday, June 24 from 5:00-6:00pm at The Center Theatre at the Armory (305 Harrison St.)
$15, tickets available here [/thb_tab]
Check out the resources here to dive deeper into the topics of Welcome to Braggsville
