Bring your tissues to watch “American Son,” a politically-charged drama written by Christopher Demos-Brown and directed by Thomas-Whit Ellis.
Brought out of the darkness and into the light is the reality of racial inequality in America. The premiere will take place at Fresno State in the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The show will run until Oct. 7.
The show tells a story of a Black mother, Kendra, who would go to the ends of the earth to find her missing son who has disappeared, possibly at the hands of law enforcement. The setting takes place inside a Florida police station in the middle of the night with a total of four characters.
“One of the sacred responsibilities of theater is to kind of hold a mirror up to society and say, ‘Are you OK with what you see?’” said Jacob Sherwood, who plays the role of Kendra’s estranged husband, Scott Connor. “I think this play deals and addresses a lot of willful ignorance in society.”
The small cast has gathered consistently at rehearsal over the past few weeks to produce art that prompts discussion for social justice.
“It’s time to make a change for real,” said Jason Archie, who plays the role of Lt. Stokes.
The rehearsal process has required the actors to step into characters that experience the sheer terror of racism. The cast talked about the comprehensiveness that they feel when it comes to some of the emotions that these characters experience.
“I can relate to some things [in the storyline] which makes it hit home,” Archie said.
Ananda Shaffer, playing the female lead Kendra, reflected on the rehearsal process and called it a “visceral” feeling.
“It’s just getting in here every night for the past few weeks ..and just feeling..and putting myself in someone else’s shoes,” she said.
Director Ellis said he knew right away that Shaffer fit the mold for the female lead.
“Ananda, she stepped on [stage] and I said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s Kendra,’” Ellis said.
His hopes are that the injustice shown in the story will be the topic of many dinner conversations or even arguments long after the theater experience is over, he told The Collegian.
From the start, Ellis’ preference was for the play to take place in the smaller of the two theaters on campus, the Woods, because there needs to be an intimate space between the audience members and cast. He said in the larger theater the intimacy is at risk of being lost.
Tickets can be found online or in person at the box office.
