Collaboraction Second Annual Encounter Series SOUL IN SUBURBIA

Her coworkers constantly undermine her every move and disregard her authority…

Her boss communicates to her with an unrelenting barrage of racialized and sexuailzed nick names

Her autonomy is ignored…

Then they call her loud and angry…

Finally, she’s had enough!

Meet Dana, a black single mom living in Chicagoland, who winds up in anger management while fielding the micro aggressions of her white peers and the unattainable expectations of her boss.

Soul in Suburbia by Dana N. Anderson started as a short at last year but this season has blossomed into a powerful full length work featured in Collaboraction’s Second Annual Encounter Series-a “festival of theatre, dance and spoken word curated around themes of equity and inclusion” as phrased in the press release.

Anderson also stars in this deeply moving piece and we get an intimate glimpse into her life- from childhood to adulthood-and the trials she encounters along the way as she attempts to work as an actor and raise her daughter. We are also privy to the endless micro aggressions she faces from her white coworkers (Ryan Blanchard and Sarah-Lucy Hill) and her boss (Adam Christopher). Now in therapy, her therapist (Eva Saha) encourages her to discuss her past. This is how we come to hear her stories of growing up as one of the few (and sometimes only) black girls in a predominantly white suburb.

This play is a look into Anderson’s head. In this writer’s opinion, director Shawntia Grant handles the text well using lighting and sound effects to effectively highlight the moments when we get to hear the thoughts Dana can’t say out loud. We see things from her perspective. With a strong lead and a committed and energetic ensemble, Grant is able to full embrace the unique structure of the storytelling in this play. The tales from nderson’s childhood are accompanied by personal photographs projected behind her. It’s powerful—we feel visceral reaction to her childhood stories of trauma and love.

The performance was followed by a Crucial Conversation, a staple at Collaboraction shows and moderated by Managing Director Dr. Marcus Robinson. This isn’t your average talk back. The conversation encouraged discussions about race and growing up in spaces in which you are different, which can be difficult , but, in this writer’s view, absolutely vital. The thought behind these crucial conversations is that while a piece of art can stir up a lot of thoughts in audience members’ heads, it is important to shape those thoughts with conversation that will hopefully lead to action. One point the conversation especially drove home for this writer was that racism is much more than the experience of contending with someone who is blatantly racist, or bigoted. Rather, the point of this work is that racism is built into our institutions and negatively impacts People of Color daily. Easy to ignore if you have white skin privilege but devastating for People of Color who must contend with these challenges. This play will not let you ignore anything.

About the Author

Taryn Smith graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago's BFA Performance program in 2011. After graduating, she co-founded Realize Theatre Group and served as Executive Director for the company. She has filled numerous roles while with RTG both on and off stage including making her playwriting debut with her play America, Inc . She has worked as a stage manage, designer, director, and actor. Outside of the theatre world, Taryn is a licensed massage therapist.

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