New and Dangerous Ideas World premiere by Christopher Johnson directed by Christopher Johnson & Josh Short |
"Searing"
-The Providence Journal "A powerful punch"
-New England Theatre Geek "Powerful, gripping production"
-Edge Providence |
ABOUT NEW AND DANGEROUS IDEAS
Inspired by Roger Williams, Bill T. Jones and Everett Stage and School, New and Dangerous Ideas is the world premiere play by internationally known poet, Christopher Johnson. A multi media experience, New and Dangerous Ideas challenges ideas of criminalizing race and expatriating police while humanizing statistics by using personal stories of several members of different communities intersected with spoken word poetry, framed in music, dance and video.
'New and Dangerous Ideas' was developed with a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment on the Arts.
ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON:
An internationally known Poetry Slam champion, Christopher is known for his constant evolving style that without complaint, combines the experience discord of his past, the wisdom of now and the hope of the future to give voice to a universal message of human spark that connects us all. Using the intricate combination of academia, hip hop, traditional story telling, theater, and just plain old common sense, Christopher provides a soulful, uplifting experience guaranteed to move his audience through several states of equilibrium, challenging the listener to remain in an emotional stagnant state. He organizes spoken word events, gives workshops on writing, performing, and public speaking, as well as growth and empowerment for youth and adults through words. He has been an active community member of Brown University's student spoken word/poetry organization Word! since since 2006. In 2010, Christopher was commissioned by Providence's Department of Art Culture and Tourism to write the poem Providence Divine to commemorate the city's 375th birthday, and by Brown University in 2012 in celebration of the the inauguration of the university's 19th president.
NEWS AND REVIEWS:
"Searing...New and Dangerous Ideas gives startling insight on racism close to home." -The Providence Journal
"A powerful punch...politically brave as well as technically brilliant." -New England Theatre Geek
"A powerful, gripping production...New and Dangerous Ideas takes its audience on an unforgettable ride that's not especially comfortable but unfailingly compelling." -Edge Providence
"In a social climate of division and racial scapegoating, a play like New and Dangerous Ideas is the perfect device to start meaningful dialogue and to provoke change in long-held worldviews." -Motif Magazine
“My favorite quote of all time is from Nina Simone: ‘An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times,’” Christopher Johnson says. “This piece was created because I was looking for healing after my own experience. Being harassed and arrested in my neighborhood because of my skin color, I felt violated. New and Dangerous Ideas was balm for me...This play doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface,” Johnson says. “As an artist, it is my job to move the audience from one state of equilibrium to another. It is my job to challenge the viewers’ gut, moral being. What good is a piece of art that doesn’t move a person?” -The Providence Journal
"With monologues and symbols, the actors of New and Dangerous Ideas captivated the audience; even causing tears from many viewers...We weren’t just listening and watching fictional monologues. These were real-life stories of people being harassed and wrongfully accused by the police." -JennSalomon.com
Inspired by Roger Williams, Bill T. Jones and Everett Stage and School, New and Dangerous Ideas is the world premiere play by internationally known poet, Christopher Johnson. A multi media experience, New and Dangerous Ideas challenges ideas of criminalizing race and expatriating police while humanizing statistics by using personal stories of several members of different communities intersected with spoken word poetry, framed in music, dance and video.
'New and Dangerous Ideas' was developed with a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment on the Arts.
ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON:
An internationally known Poetry Slam champion, Christopher is known for his constant evolving style that without complaint, combines the experience discord of his past, the wisdom of now and the hope of the future to give voice to a universal message of human spark that connects us all. Using the intricate combination of academia, hip hop, traditional story telling, theater, and just plain old common sense, Christopher provides a soulful, uplifting experience guaranteed to move his audience through several states of equilibrium, challenging the listener to remain in an emotional stagnant state. He organizes spoken word events, gives workshops on writing, performing, and public speaking, as well as growth and empowerment for youth and adults through words. He has been an active community member of Brown University's student spoken word/poetry organization Word! since since 2006. In 2010, Christopher was commissioned by Providence's Department of Art Culture and Tourism to write the poem Providence Divine to commemorate the city's 375th birthday, and by Brown University in 2012 in celebration of the the inauguration of the university's 19th president.
NEWS AND REVIEWS:
"Searing...New and Dangerous Ideas gives startling insight on racism close to home." -The Providence Journal
"A powerful punch...politically brave as well as technically brilliant." -New England Theatre Geek
"A powerful, gripping production...New and Dangerous Ideas takes its audience on an unforgettable ride that's not especially comfortable but unfailingly compelling." -Edge Providence
"In a social climate of division and racial scapegoating, a play like New and Dangerous Ideas is the perfect device to start meaningful dialogue and to provoke change in long-held worldviews." -Motif Magazine
“My favorite quote of all time is from Nina Simone: ‘An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times,’” Christopher Johnson says. “This piece was created because I was looking for healing after my own experience. Being harassed and arrested in my neighborhood because of my skin color, I felt violated. New and Dangerous Ideas was balm for me...This play doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface,” Johnson says. “As an artist, it is my job to move the audience from one state of equilibrium to another. It is my job to challenge the viewers’ gut, moral being. What good is a piece of art that doesn’t move a person?” -The Providence Journal
"With monologues and symbols, the actors of New and Dangerous Ideas captivated the audience; even causing tears from many viewers...We weren’t just listening and watching fictional monologues. These were real-life stories of people being harassed and wrongfully accused by the police." -JennSalomon.com
PRODUCTION PHOTOS:
CAST |
CREATIVE TEAM |
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New and Dangerous Ideas
Written by Christopher Johnson Directed by Christopher Johnson and Josh Short Sound/Light/Video Design by Andy Russ Scenic Design by Monica Shinn Stage Management by Jo-An Peralta |
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