REVIEW: ‘Blood at the Root’ asks us to listen and reflect

The Indianapolis Black Theater Company (IBTC) is back with another powerful production.

“Blood at the Root” by Dominique Morrisseau examines how quickly racial tensions and double standards boil over into injustice within a prejudiced school. Inspired by the real-life case of the “Jena Six,” which took place in Louisiana in 2006, “Blood at the Root” follows a group of high school students who tackle the miscarriage of justice when nooses are hung from a tree in the quad after Black students sit under it one day. 

Directed by Daniel A. Martin, “Blood at the Root” is on stage at the District Theatre now through April 26.

“Blood at the Root” is a contemporary lyrical-style play; this version included music and a little bit of choreography. It was an interesting and daring choice, but I have to say, it worked. Incorporating song and dance into a show like this could have easily detracted from its underlying themes and message, but the IBTC demonstrates once again the power of thoughtful storytelling.

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The title of the play, “Blood at the Root,” is taken from the anti-lynching song “Strange Fruit,” most notably sung by Billie Holiday in 1939. The song is one of several to appear in the show, sung by Jay Fuqua (Swing) after the nooses appear on the tree.

I was fully prepared to be uncomfortable during this show. Everything I read about it made it seem almost daunting. On paper, “Blood at the Root” sounds like an emotionally complex story about identity, racial tensions, homophobia and the struggles of adolescence… and it is, but it is so much more than that.

The story is narrated by high school students. There’s a fourth wall sometimes, but usually characters talk right to us, the audience. They’re up in our faces, engaging with us, asking us questions, scattered through the aisles. You don’t get to simply sit back, relax and watch this story unfold; you have to listen, and it begs you to think.

Raelynn (Kelly Kel) brings us into the story, narrating her goals as an optimistic senior wishing to shake things up at her school by running for class president and even sitting under a tree unofficially designated for white students. Her white best friend, Asha (Morgan Damato), who “acts Black” only when it’s seemingly convenient and safe for her, is supportive of one of these two actions. 

As their friendship becomes tense, Raelynn befriends transfer student Collin (Parker Taylor), a closeted gay boy who’s on the football team with Raelynn’s younger brother, Deondre (Marcus Elliot). Misunderstandings and unrest over weeks to months eventually escalate into violence.

Watching everything unfold are Justin (Matt Ball), the Black school newspaper editor who wishes to remain objective on issues of race, and Toria (Samantha Resnick), the ambitious white reporter who insists that a journalist’s job is about more than stating facts as “the truth is in the color.”

Justin and Toria’s dissonance in the show does a wonderfully uncomfortable job of demonstrating how easily the media can become complicit in the justice system’s double standards. Those who focus too hard on remaining objective forget the human element of the very stories they’re covering. 

As journalists, it’s our job to remove ourselves from the story, yes, but in return, we put you into it. 

If you’ve been to the District Theatre before, then you know it’s an intimate space with a smaller stage. The majority of the story takes place in a high school in the early 2000s, so expect costumes, props and dialogue that reflect that. The entire set is centered around a large tree — the tree that quickly becomes the catalyst of the story. There’s also a student newsroom, a hallway, the quad and the lunch room, which technically is the aisleways. 

The house lights come up, and suddenly the audience is drawn into a fast-paced, back-and-forth volley of rumors, slurs and accusations as the students relay what may or may not have occurred during the alleged fight. 

It gets worse before it gets better, but “Blood at the Root” is open-ended. It’s hopeful, but also unsettling in a way. It’s not a one-to-one of the actual events and court case, so I suggest reading up on that after having seen the show as well. Talk about it with your friends. Ask yourself what we are supposed to learn from these events and this production, because we are supposed to learn. We must, as a community, do better than the generation that came before us, and sow better seeds for the generations that come after us. 

It is not enough to simply be objective.

“Blood at the Root” is showing April 16-26 at the District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave. The show features themes of racism, homophobia and adult language, and is suggested for audiences aged 16 and up. Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased at indydistricttheatre.org. 

Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.