“The Griot” a new play involving time travel, West African influences and the Indianapolis Recorder is set to debut at the District Theatre this month.
Developed through the Black Light Training and Development program, “The Griot” was written by Indy-based playwright and former journalist, Celeste Williams. The play, which touches on ideas of chasing one’s dreams and addressing mental health in the Black community, featuring themes of racism, adversity and what it means to be Black in America, is running in the Brian Payne Theatre, formerly known as the District Theatre Cabaret, Aug. 28-30.
“Being African American myself, I knew about the Recorder and I knew it was more than 100 years old, and thought people need to know more about the history of this newspaper, especially in this time when newspapers are not what they used to be,” Williams said. “The Recorder’s been continuously published for 130 some years, and … it had such a vital place in the Black community in Indianapolis and beyond. I thought, ‘How can I tell the story in a way that’s not only entertaining but informative?’”
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Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the Black Light Training and Development program provides cost-effective workshops to Black and brown Indy residents covering everything from acting, directing, dancing, playwriting and technical theater. Enrollment for new cohorts opens each spring and fall, culminating in the production of a new play.
Williams was born in New York, but her family moved to Michigan when she was 12 before settling in Indiana after high school. She graduated from Ball State University with a degree in journalism that took her to Alabama, Tennessee, Wisconsin and finally back to Indiana where she worked for and eventually retired from the Indianapolis Star.
After leaving journalism, Williams got into playwriting with virtually no experience, but said her interest in history — particularly Black history — propelled her research into the Black community in Indianapolis, and subsequently the Recorder.
“It’s been quite a journey going from being a news reporter to doing plays. I was used to reporting and writing and working with an editor to clean it up and then pushing send and being done,” Williams said. “With the play, it’s a process, and there are a lot of moving parts and people involved, so that’s been an education for me.”
“The Griot” follows Malcolm and Rosa, two high school students and best friends who are wholly uninterested in history, as they complete a research project on the 131-year-old Black newspaper for school. The play highlights the importance of knowing and preserving one’s history, and takes its name from the West African griot — an oral storyteller, historian and musician who was “a purveyor of the news of the tribe,” Williams said.
The play is not only centered around the Recorder but also Indiana Avenue and the people who lived, worked and thrived there, including Madam C. J. Walker, Oscar Robertson and Eunice Trotter, Ronni Watts, director of the play, said. In the play, the Griot isn’t just an idea or cultural icon, but a living, breathing character that acts as a guide for Malcolm and Rosa.
Also, there may or may not be a little time travel involved to help Malcolm and Rosa on their journey as they gain an appreciation for the past and figure out what they want for their futures.
“What people can expect to see is a really in-depth historical view of different things that have taken place,” Watts said. “We have two young teenagers who are trying to navigate who they are, who society and their parents want them to be, versus what they actually want out of life. So they go through this whole story, being able to see different historical figures from Indianapolis appear…”
In developing the play for the stage, Watts worked closely with the cast from the moment she got the script. From the very first table read, Watts guided the actors through character development — from dialogue to body language to making sure the younger actors understood the depth of the events and situations in the script. All those things, even the small things, help “bring the story to life” off the page, where people can connect to it in an impactful way, Watts said.
As “The Griot” debuts the last weekend of August, Williams said she hopes the people who come see it will walk away having learned more about the Recorder as an institution as well as how important it is “to know what has come before in order to move forward.”
Watts said she hopes this story in the play will be enlightening for young Black and brown Hoosiers, helping them overcome the fear of letting their communities down by chasing their dreams. Beyond that, “The Griot” emphasizes the idea that minority communities have always overcome adversity, and prioritizing interpersonal relationships and mental health could save lives.
“It’s just so many good things that I feel like I get chills talking about it,” Watts added. “I think the biggest thing is being able to have a voice for yourself, being able to understand the voice of others, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it — and obviously being able to chase your dreams and do what you want to do, and believing that you can too.”
“The Griot” is playing at 7 p.m. on Aug. 28-29 and 4 p.m. on Aug. 30 on the District Theatre Mainstage, 627 Massachusetts Ave. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit indydistricttheatre.vbotickets.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
