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Livestreamed on this page on Saturday 3 October at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

United States
Saturday 3 October 2020

A Performance of Black and Blue

Inspired by the real life and impact of Yvonne Bechet, who served as one of New Orleans’ first Black female police officers

Saturday 3 October 2020

The Yvonne Bechet Theatre Project presented a reading of Black and Blue, a full-length play, livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 3 October at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Play by Ariadne Blayde, directed by Troy Poplous.

A fictionalized drama, Black and Blue is inspired by the real life and impact of Yvonne Bechet, who served as one of New Orleans’ first Black female police officers from 1968-90 and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Superintendent of the NOPD. Through the lens of her career, the play explores the intersections of race and gender within policing to ask the urgent question: how can we fix the broken system of law enforcement in America? Yvonne Bechet’s legacy may possess the seeds of an answer.

Black and Blue is the creative culmination of the Yvonne Bechet Theatre Project, a group of local New Orleans artists and activists committed to bringing Yvonne’s story to the stage. The group commissioned playwright Ariadne Blayde to create the piece, which had its world premiere in 2018 at Dillard University and was directed by Troy Poplous.

The purpose of this reading is to spark conversations about how the stories of Yvonne Bechet and thousands of Black women who have served similar roles across the country might serve us in this moment of national reckoning. What does positive fundamental change within police departments look like? What does a transformation of policing look like? What do American communities need to feel safe, supported, and nurtured?

Written by Ariadne Blayde
Directed by Troy Poplous

Cast:

Younger Anne Broussard / Patricia: Cherelle Palmer
Robert Broussard / Older Robert Jr.: Rodney Graham
Aunt Theo / Older Anne Broussard: Carol Sutton
Cupertino / Paul Crane: Robert Florence
Calhoun / Kesselman: Matt Story
Nite Smile / Reynolds: Zeb Hollins III
Becky / Dana Crane: Linnea Gregg
Young Robert Jr. / Stage Directions: Niles Cosey
Jakoby / Stage Directions: Dessalines Hayden

 

About HowlRound TV
HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based peer produced, open access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and to develop our knowledge commons collectively. Participate in a community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our participate page. For any other queries, email [email protected], or call Vijay Mathew at +1 917.686.3185 Signal/WhatsApp. View the video archive of past events.

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Truly blessed to have met Chief Yvonne Bechet attending Professor Ron Bechet's (son) art exhibition at Xavier University of Louisiana, and again, in the theatre audience for the closing performance of "Black and Blue" at Dillard University.

Chief Bechet's inspiration, especially for young Black women; all women in general, will live on forever...

We are looking forward to Chief Yvonne Bechet's life story "Black and Blue" in movie theatres...

Heartfelt thank you for an opportunity to share Chief Yvonne Bechet's life story with my twin daughters...

Best regards,

Joan Ulmer

Hey y'all, that was AWESOME! Ariadne, you've written a powerful and of course continuously timely play! All the cast: you were fantastic! Doug and I both cried. Thank you, thank you! Aloha from Hawai'i, Amy (Linnea's mom)