Hope 612
In April of 2024, Be That Neighbor began an exciting new project. Five alumni from the Mill City Players met with Claudia Kittock for over a year to write a play that is based on their experiences growing up in Minneapolis. Three of the writers grew up in Cedar Riverside. Two of them emigrated here with their parents and one was born here. The other two writers experienced homelessness as teenagers and are now housed and employed full time. Each of them has a unique story to tell and it is these stories that comprise the script of Hope 612.
The decision was made my all of the writers to write about the most important problems faced by their community and them personally. They chose racism, fentanyl, and police abuse. As we all went through the process of writing their stories and weaving them into a narrative, it was brought up and universally agreed upon that the theme of this work had to be hope!
Every part of this play is based in the reality of their lives. Each of them has been deeply touched by racism, by fentanyl, and by police abuse. These stories are real and happening in our community. I have known these young adults for 9 years and have heard the stories many times, and each time I hear them, I am moved. When these stories morph into words of hope and they write about what they want the future to be, it is energizing and gratifying. As Miske Salad wrote, “Hope isn’t just a nice idea—it’s an obligation.”
The initial script is finished and we will be moving on to auditions on April 14 and 16. We are looking for 15-18 year olds who want to be part of this play. Rehearsals will be on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:30-6:00 at Theater in the Round through mid July when we will be performing the play.
We are grateful for the anonymous donors who are funding this production as well as the grant we received from the Minnesota State Arts Board. We are grateful to Blossom Johnson for serving as our dramaturg, we are grateful to Pillsbury House Theater for helping us with summer interns, and we are grateful to every single person who has encouraged us, who has shown an interest. Most of all we are grateful for our incredible writers who gave up a year of their time to tell their stories. Thank you Anthony Anderson, Ahmad Mahad, Mahamed Salad, Miske Salad, and Sam Karpeh. Your courage, your talents, and your heart inspire me every single day.
