Ten Square - Backstage

Ten Square hit theaters in 2009. America had just elected a Black president and most theater goers were not in the mood for a dystopian look at race and reparations. The show was stellar, but the viewing public was sharply divided on the merits of the conversation. For a great many Black people this was a long overdue conversation about how Black people think about politics, and what might be of our future, if our thoughts ever had the opportunity to manifest. In a world where a Black man was cast in the improbable role as the American President – our minds were open to a world of possibilities. For white audiences, Ten Square was confusing. Shouldn’t the Obama presidency be a time of great joy and optimism? In this Backstage, the creatives behind the play explore those questions.