The Tufts University Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies kicks off its Fall Festival of Plays, three staged readings directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent and presented in a streaming format. The works explore systemic racism, class divisions, and politics, which the department hopes will provide a jumping-off point for ongoing conversations about the role of theatre in community transformation.

Opening the festival today is The New Black Fest’s “HANDS UP: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments,” which will be available for viewing online through Thursday, November 5.

In light of the police shootings of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and John Crawford III in Beavercreek, Ohio, among others, The New Black Fest commissioned seven emerging black playwrights to write 10- to 15-minute monologues that explore their feelings about the well-being of black in a culture of institutional profiling.

The “HANDS UP” collection consists of:

“Superiority Fantasy” by Nathan James
“Holes in My Identity” by Nathan Yungerberg
“They Shootin! Or I Ain’t Neva Scared…” by Idris Goodwin
“Dead of Night… The Execution of… ” by Nambi E. Kelley
“Abortion” by Nsangou Njikam
“Walking Next to Michael Brown” by Eric Micha Holmes
“How I Feel” by Dennis A. Allen II

Other works in the festival will be “God of Carnage” from November 6 through 12, and “Smart People,” from November 13-19.

Admission is free; access the performances here: https://tuftsdramadance.anywhereseat.com/channel.php