Imagination Stage Performance for 8th Grade

Through our partnership with Imagination Stage, 8th graders will watch a presentation of 10 Seconds during advisory on January 24.  10 Seconds, written by Miriam Gonzales and directed by LeeAnét  Noble, is being remounted by Triza Cox, Imagination Stage’s Associate Artistic Director of Theatre for Change. The play, performed by adult professional actors, explores a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold. Life can often feel unnerving — and can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye depending on how we see each other. Ray and Jimi are Washington, DC high school students who navigate their young adult worlds and what it means to be young Black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day — and “ten seconds” inside that day — that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter. The play provides opportunities for reflection and discussion. By “stopping time” the audience is asked to imagine what might happen if everyone makes the effort to pause, listen to one another, question our assumptions, and consider the possibilities for change.