VERBATIM DRAMA
In the Tall Grass
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Dallas, 2017 (world premiere)
In the Tall Grass is a verbatim play written in response to the murder of Shade Schuler, a 22-year-old transgender woman whose body was found dumped in a field in the medical district of Dallas in July 2015. In the wake of Shade’s murder, the play focuses on a community who are left asking ‘why’, and fearing who could be next. Told through first-hand testimonies of transgender women of color in Dallas, the play explores the circumstances, which force many to exist in the underworld – shut out by society, cut off from support and legal systems; and condemned for what is, ironically, known as 'survival sex work'.
Winner: Outstanding New Play
DFW Theater Critics Forum, Dallas, TX, 2018
Nominee: Best New Play
Irma P. Hall Theater Awards, Dallas, TX, 2018
REVIEWS
" PROVOCATIVE! Well written, produced, and performed, leaving no uncomfortable stone unturned."
North Dallas Gazette
" PROFOUNDLY MOVING! Wisdom, compassion, intelligence, outrage and humanity! An overwhelming testament to the diversity, mystery, complexity of gender and undeniable inclusion that love demands."
SharpCritic.com
"COMPELLING AND MOVING! A play that brings the darker raw experiences of poor transgender women of color to light in a vital, gritty platform."
Theater Jones
"GROUNDBREAKING... and devastatingly relevant!"
D Magazine
"ARRESTING AND BEAUTIFUL! Challenging and redemptive in many many ways. It is both an important work for us as theater lovers - and for us as human beings, especially in these crazy, troubled times, we are communally struggling with.
Go see it!
City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs
There is a sense of urgency about this project that we couldn't ignore, especially given our political climate. A project of this magnitude very seldom comes along in a theatre’s lifespan.
Teresa Coleman Wash,
Bishop Arts Theatre Center
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
In the Tall Grass received a period of research and development, at the South Dallas Cultural Centre in May 2016 with director, Anna Jones. Thanks to generous funding and support from the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.
