An immersive play debuts in Charlotte Thursday night as part of an effort to spotlight Black joy in a rapidly changing neighborhood.
"Dauntless: An Ode to 2916" is staged in a small blue house in west Charlotte, following a character the theater explored in a previous work. The house is near new mansions and coffee shops popping up in the neighborhood. Kat Martin is behind Mixed Metaphors Productions.
“In this play, you're going to be invited to come to Martha's daughter's 90th birthday. She’s a lifelong resident of Enderly Park," Martin said. “In Kuduz we saw her being evicted, and in this play we write a new, just future for her, where the joy and memories she's been creating in this space get to stay.”
The play marks the fifth season for Mixed Metaphors Productions. The group has produced several other plays that aim to highlight important community issues, such as gentrification. In 2023, the group produced “Swim Cap,” a play that focused on dispelling myths about Black people’s swimming ability.
Dauntless is shaped by community members' feedback on what they wanted to see spotlighted in the area. As part of the show, 10 audience members get taken on an immersive journey through the small house as actors sing, laugh, and dance as a way to express joy in the play.
Courtney Rohan is one of the actors who opens up the play by singing.
“Every time I get a chance to sing to Martha's daughter, I am feeling like there's an opportunity there to uplift her personally,” Rohan said. "Because sound is frequency; I’m able to kind of spread air, sparkle joy into the space.”
The 55-minute play runs weekly through the end of August. Those interested can learn more about the play here.
