Photo Credit: Karen Almond
Dallas Children’s Theater has partnered with Booker T. Washington High School to present Andi Boi, a play about a student who returns to school with a new identity.
“DCT has made it a priority to present stories about teens caught in difficult situations and the tough barriers they face, in part, because so little energy is focused on teens. This means a wall of confusion and rejection often meets them,” said Robyn Flatt, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of DCT in a blog post. “By increasing our awareness and understanding of these young people as human beings, as vulnerable young people among us, we can provide a supportive space during their search to find true identity, and as a result, we hopefully make the journey less painful.”
DCT commissioned Bruce R. Coleman to write the play.
“As a gay man, I too kept a secret from my family until it became impossible to deny who I was anymore.” Coleman said in a blog post. “I feared rejection from family and friends as they discovered who I am, but I ultimately took that rejection and turned it into strength. I have been pushed at by a society that wants to squeeze me into a box and force me to be a thing that goes against everything that makes me this person I am. But when all has been said and done and because of a strong belief in myself, I can finally achieve my heart’s desire: To be seen, to be respected, and to be treasured. It’s all Andi and I are asking for.”
DCT has also received $150,000 from the Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization, with funds provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
The play is in partnership with the First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Texas Instruments, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Capital One are also sponsoring the play.
Andi Boi will run Feb. 7 to Feb. 16, 2020 at Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman St. $16. 214-740-0051. dct.org.
