41st Season Crossing Lines

Fifty years ago a young couple was thrust into the national spotlight because they fought for their love to be recognized. Richard and Mildred Loving, aptly named, didn’t intend to change history—they just wanted to protect their family. They took their fight to the highest court and with Loving v. The State of Virginia, the Supreme Court declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional. The year was 1967.

We’re not far from that fight. Even today interracial couples and families are met with curiosity, scrutiny, and in this racially tense time, contempt. They represent an anxiety about a breakdown of racial hierarchy in the U.S. that goes back centuries. In 2017 we find ourselves defending progress we never imagined would be imperiled, but we also find that we are capable of reaching beyond ourselves to imagine our world anew.

This season we explore what happens when the boundlessness of love meets the boundaries of our identities. Powerful drama and provocative conversations will inspire us to move beyond the barriers of our skin toward the beating of our hearts. Join us to celebrate the courage of those who love outside the lines, who fight to be all of who they are, and in doing so, urge us to manifest a more loving, inclusive America.

Sarah Bellamy
Artistic Director