Detroit 67: Reimagining the riots of 1967 with a familiar beat

It is hard not to reflect on progress or the lack of as we approach the local debut of “Detroit 67” the Ebony Road Players, whose latest production will be held at the nomadic by design SiTE:LAB’s latest home/venue on Franklin Street. 

It has been fifty years since the 1967 riots in Detroit and over the last few months, the Motor City has commemorated this time period in our state’s history with gallery shows and tributes.

Now locally comes a special two weekend performance of the play “Detroit 67” by Dominique Morisseau and helmed by first time Director Amisha Groce.

The play is the story of a party that stalls when a stranger appears inside a basement underground joint where Chelle and her brother Lank are running like a classic Detroit side hustle. 

With the rioting happening above ground, “Detroit 67” builds like a sitcom of the era as the story unfolds. Another device used in the play to propel it forward is the music of Motown used here in a manner that creatively adds a fresh perspective to these songs. 

“Detroit 67” is the winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and is presented locally by the Ebony Road Players whose mission according to their website is “to inspire, educate and engage cultures of our community with high-quality theater productions focused on the Black experience.”

Please check the ticket site for availability.