Black Lives / Blue Lives
An interactive theater piece/discussion available for your class, school, church, or organization
Questions? Contact Gary Glor at 908 809-8865
AUDIENCE REACTION:
"An eye-opening theatrical experience."
Kathy Arminio, FRIENDS OF THE UNION LIBRARY
"I think this performance could be used at schools across the country. I think it could be used in police trainings and high schools."
Laura Steele, audience member
"This was an amazing event."
Sandra Toll, teacher, THOMAS JEFFERSON ARTS ACADEMY
"The performance was compelling, and the experience provided a great jumping-off point for a substantive conversation."
Laura Ekstrand, Artistic Director, VIVID STAGE COMPANY
A unique--and relevant--theater experience performed at your site.
Black Lives/Blue Lives consists of two monologues – What I Know by Steve Harper and What Cops Know by Bill Mesce, Jr. – that explore the relationship between race and policing.
- Onsite live theater performance for your students/community
- study/discussion guides available
- Sponsored by NJ Council on the Humanities
- Preview video available on request
Contact us or email info@thetheaterproject.org for more info and booking inquiries.
Scroll down for FAQs.
Join the Conversation
The post-show audience conversations are facilitated by retired Theater Project Executive Producer Daaimah Talley, and Dr. Sara Compion, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at Kean University.
“There is power in courageously open and respectful dialogue,” says Dr. Compion. “It builds social trust and harmony amongst divided groups. The Black Lives/Blue Lives production offers a venue for this kind of important conversation.”
The program has been offered to schools and organizations around the state for the last two years, thanks in part to grants from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
Two Playwrights, Two Actors
About the Authors
Steve Harper was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is known for his in-depth exploration of class, race, sex, and spirituality in his writing. His credits include God Friended Me (CBS), American Crime (ABC), Covert Affairs (USA Network), and his Emmy-nominated web series Send Me, as well as more than 20 plays.
Bill Mesce, Jr. was born and raised in New Jersey and first began his writing career with uncredited work on the critically acclaimed political film,
Blow Out. Most recently, he published
The Wild Bunch: The American Classic that Changed Westerns Forever. Mesce adapted
What Cops Know (Blue Lives) from Adam Plantiga’s
400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman.
Bring to Your School or Organization
This production is available for schools and organizations on a sliding scale thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Council on the Humanities.
Contact
INFO@TheTheaterProject.org for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
7.31.23-8.1.23: Our most recent public performances of BLACK LIVES/BLUE LIVES at the Burgdorff Center in Maplewood was made possible by the PUFFIN FOUNDATION
Black Lives/Blue Lives is grateful to have been supported by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal CARES Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this piece do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
