Paradise Blue | Written by Dominique Morisseau
It’s 1949, and the new mayor of Detroit is working to get rid of the blight of the city—and to move African Americans out of Detroit’s Black Bottom. Blue, a gifted trumpeter, considers selling his once thriving family jazz club, leaving his beloved Pumpkin and her dreams aside. As Blue fights personal demons to better his life and maintain his sanity, his fellow band members, Corn and P-Sam, are stuck wondering where they fit into the plan to benefit from the changes in their neighborhood. Silver, a mysterious woman with a history, enters the scene with her own plans, turning the lives of everyone upside down.
Set against a backdrop of gentrification and displacement, Paradise Blue encompasses the pain and suffering that accompany the erasure of Black history.
Additional Programming
Greek/HBCU Week
Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30 PM Post-Show | Cast Meet + Greet
Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 PM Pre-Show | Complimentary glass of wine with ticket
Friday, October 4 – Sunday, October 6 All performances | $10 off tickets purchased at box office
Cast Talk Back
Sunday, October 6 at 5:00 PM | FREE | Southwest Arts Center
Join us for a moderated post-show conversation with the cast. This is your chance to ask the cast your most burning questions about their experiences working on this production and hear some unexpected stories behind its creation.
Community Conversation: The Changing Face of Atlanta
Sunday, October 13 at 5:00 PM | FREE | Southwest Arts Center
This conversation will address the question of whether gentrification or “urban renewal” always means displacement or whether new investments can benefit our communities. This is a post-show event that does not include tickets to the performance.
Deep Dive
Wednesday, October 16 6:30 PM | FREE | Southwest Arts Center
Learn about the play with a deeper look into the artistic process. This is a pre-show event that does not include tickets to the performance.
Wine-down Wednesdays
Every Wednesday is wine-down Wednesday at True Colors! Join us beginning at 6:45 PM for a complimentary glass of wine in the SWAC lobby. One complimentary glass with purchase of ticket for patrons 21+.
Cast and Crew
Dominique Morisseau
Playwright
Jamil Jude
Director
Cynthia D. Barker
“Pumpkin”
Keith Arthur Bolden
“Corn”
Javon Johnson
“Blue”
Enoch Armando King
“P-Sam”
Tangela Large
“Silver”
Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay, Set Design
Christopher Dills, Props Design
Nyrobi Moss, Costume Design
Chris Lane, Sound Design
Mary Parker, Lighting Design
Russell Gunn, Original Music
Thank You to our Production Sponsor
