“Speed Killed My Cousin” at the Emporium Center

Posted on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 7:47 pm

The Carpetbag Theater Ensemble Premiers New Play “Speed Killed My Cousin”
at 7:30 pm Oct. 25 at the Emporium Center for Art and Culture as a part of The Network of Ensemble Theater’s MicroFest.

Carpetbag will also have performances of “Speed” on Nov. 1-3.

“Speed” is the story of a young African-American female veteran of the Iraq war and her struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The show explores multiple issues related to war including the history and otherness of African-Americans in the military, and the experiences of women in combat.

It is a contemporary story of survival and coping in a confusing and damaging world.

“War has been largely the story of men. The impact is, however, felt by us all. I
discovered my way into the story of war’s impact through a conversation with a young African-American recruit. The recruit, a female 2006 version of my 1960s male cousin, was lost, unemployed and looking for a way out…what happens to these women after they serve? Can we know what women in combat will bring home to their families if we don’t hear their stories? As artists, we have the responsibility to break the silence, “ says Linda Parris-Bailey, playwright.

“Speed” has been a project centered in the experiences of women that has been led by a creative team consisting mostly of women. The team consists of playwright Linda Parris-Bailey, Arab American director and dramaturge Adrea Assaf, visual artist Melody Reeve and music by Kelle Jolly and John Puckett

Tickets will be $15 in advance and $20 at the door. To purchase tickets, please visit www.knoxtix.com or call 865-523-7521.

 

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