COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AT DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE
Shakespeare in Prison
Shakespeare in Prison (SIP), Detroit Public Theatre’s signature community program, empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to reconnect with their humanity and that of others; to reflect on their past, present, and future; and to gain the confidence, self-esteem, and crucial skills they need to heal and positively impact their communities. Through a combination of working on the play and collaborating with each other, the SIP experience aids ensemble members in the positive development of their narrative identities. They discover new ways of defining themselves and moving through the world, as well as goals—personal and professional—that they previously would not have dreamed of. SIP’s alumni are proving this development does not end when they are released from prison. Many are in touch with SIP staff—the same mentors who supported them while they were incarcerated—through our post-release extension, Shakespeare Reclaimed. Shakespeare Reclaimed provides opportunities for personal and professional development, including work opportunities with Detroit Public Theatre as independent contractors.
Detroit ‘67 in Schools and Communities
Detroit Public Theatre’s Detroit ‘67 in Schools and Communities program features a touring production of Detroit ’67, the acclaimed play about the 1967 Detroit uprising written by MacArthur Genius Award-winning, TONY nominated, native Detroiter Dominique Morisseau. The production is complemented by community and education programming, including facilitated community dialogues and the curriculum created in collaboration with Detroit Public Schools social studies teachers and DPT teaching artists. The touring program is designed to catalyze meaningful conversation and bring the 1960s Civil Rights Movement—particularly in the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan—to life for audiences and students. The program is brought to community centers and theatres where audiences may not have had the opportunity to see this acclaimed play and to public schools where few opportunities are often afforded for students to engage in arts-connected curricula.
DPT’s T.A.G. (Third Avenue Garage) Residencies
DPT’s subsidized residency and partnership program, T.A.G. (Third Avenue Garage) Residency Program, will launch this season. The program will provide fully and heavily subsidized performance space and services for innovative Detroit artists and organizations that do not have their own space. These subsidized residencies address a severe shortage of performance space for small and mid-sized arts organizations in Detroit and will reduce strain on our partners' budgets and provide more freedom to create relevant, ambitious work of, by, and for our city and region.
Detroit Dialogues Post-Show Forums
DPT’s Detroit Dialogues post-show forums allow audiences to explore the questions of our plays in meaningful dialogue with artists, educators, and community leaders. Partners have included the Beaumont Parenting Program, acclaimed spoken word artists and poets Joel Fluent Greene and Jessica Care Moore, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Society, Wayne State University, and many others, and facilitates deep engagement amongst diverse audiences and artists.
Pick-Your-Price Tickets
Detroit Public Theatre offers pick-your-price tickets to all preview performances of all DPT productions. This initiative aligns with the theatre’s commitment to eliminating barriers that have historically excluded many people from cultural experiences. It is a crucial component of a radical hospitality and accessibility model that DPT has been steadily expanding since our founding in 2015 and draws a notably chronologically, racially, and socio-economically diverse audience. Further, 94% of the tickets to the first previews in our new building were “pick your price”!
Detroit Public Theatre is supported in part by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council + National Endowment for the Arts.
