WONDERFUL: What if I don’t like it? What if my story’s bad?

HORSE POWER: … Ain’t no such thing as a bad history. There’s only a bad way to tell it. You need to know where your fathers came from so you don’t go down the same roads they got lost on. You need to know what’s in your blood, Wonderful.

(The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry prologue)

This dynamic and powerful play will be performed in Stuart Theatre at Brown University from November 5-8 & 12-15. It will be directed by Kym Moore, a published playwright, producer, and Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies.

Surviving slavery, revolts, and the “Trail of Tears”, a community of self-proclaimed Black Native American Freedmen have incorporated the first all-black town in Wewoka, Oklahoma circa 1850. The foundations of the town are tried when a new religion comes head to head with tradition. When former enslavers attempt to seize the new town, the leader of the Freedmen springs into action.

The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry is a myth based on historical events. The story is informed by the migration of Black Seminoles (African and Native American people) from Florida to Oklahoma. At its core, The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry is a story that explores what happens to a group of people whose faith and identity are put to the test when their water well runs dry. Gardley’s work presents a rare opportunity to explore a complex history, hidden by traditional US understandings of cultural identity. Although set in the past, The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry resonates with issues still very present in the US today.

Director, Kym Moore, said:

Gardley has created a myth culled from our collective past as balm for the soul. Grieving the past is the Road that Weeps. Weeping as an act of release and revival, the pathway to a new way of life. Who are we now? And where are we going? Gardley's creation myth for the twenty first century asks us to consider who we are by looking back at where we've been. And yes, moving on. Together and distinct in our multiple identities. Whole.

Brown University will host a special dinner event on Thursday, November 12 where director Kym Moore, and Department Chair Dr. Patricia Ybarra, will discuss the production, its themes, and its direct relevance for audiences today. The event is hosted by Liza Cariaga-Lo, Vice President for Academic Development, Diversity and Inclusion. A talkback will follow the performance on that evening.

The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry is produced by the Brown University Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and by Sock & Buskin, the student-staff-faculty board that selects and runs the mainstage theatre season at Brown University. The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry runs November 5-8 & 12-15. Performances are at 8pm, Thursday to Saturday; Sunday matinees at 2pm. Tickets: $15 ($12 seniors, $7 students). FIRST YEARS AND TRANSFER STUDENTS FREE ON THURSDAYS.

For ticket sales and more information: call (401) 863-2838, or visit the Box Office in the Leeds Theatre Lobby (83 Waterman St, Providence), Tuesday-Friday from 12pm-4pm, or email boxoffice@brown.edu. To book online, visit: brown.edu/tickets. More information on the Brown Theatre performance season available at: brown.edu/theatre.

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If you have any questions or to schedule an interview with Kym Moore or the cast, please contact:

Paul Margrave, Marketing Coordinator

(401) 863-2730 / paul_margrave@brown.edu / brown.edu/theatre

Download The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry Press Release (PDF)