Aug 5, 2022 through Aug 21, 2022
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Showtimes are
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 pm,
Sunday at 2:00 pm
Single tickets: $22
(Pay-what-you-can tickets available)
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Friday, Aug 5th - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Aug 6th - 8:00 pm
Sunday, Aug 7th - 2:00 pm
Thursday, Aug 11th - 8:00 pm
Friday, Aug 12th - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Aug 13th - 8:00 pm
Sunday, Aug 14th - 2:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Thursday, Aug 18th - 8:00 pm
Friday, Aug 19th - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Aug 20th - 8:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Sunday, Aug 21st - 2:00 pm
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PrideSource
‘GOD KINDA LOOKS LIKE TUPAC’ BLOWS OPEN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE
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“Playwright Emilio Rodriguez substantially captures the tension, friction, and cultural disconnect that courses through just about every community and organization about race no matter how woke people think they are. Get your tickets before they are gone.“
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PrideSource
EMILIO RODRIGUEZ ASKS WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT’S OFFENSIVE IN HIS PLAY “GOD KINDA LOOKS LIKE TUPAC”
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“Rodriguez says that at a time when issues of political correctness and wokeness abound, he wants to explore the question, “Who gets to decide what is correct or incorrect ... offensive or not offensive?” Rodriguez was careful not to make any of the characters cartoonish, as he says sometimes happens when a play centers on a controversial issue. “I wanted to show both points of view,” says the playwright, who seeks to create three-dimensional roles for Latinos and actors of color.
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Vincent Ford Jr., who directs Nate Brassfield, MJ Handsome, and Maria Ochoa in the play, says the work explores the differences between peoples’ internal versus external personalities. “I’m trying not to stress that these characters are flawed, but ... to show where they’re coming from,” Ford says. “We all have things that aren’t acceptable in the public view [and it’s important to] forge out a conversation.”
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THEATRE NOVA PRESENTS
God Kinda Looks Like Tupac
by Emilio Rodriguez
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When a young black high school student creates an unconventional portrait of God for a student art exhibition, her white and Latina teachers must decide whether to encourage her provocative approach or convince her to choose a more traditional path. But is it her expression that needs rethinking– or those that want her to assimilate? A fresh and funny exploration of political correctness and societal expectations that turns code-switching upside down.
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Directed by Vincent Ford, Jr. Featuring Maria Ochoa, MJ Handsome, and Nate Brassfield.
For the health, safety, and well-being of our patrons, staff, and artists, Theatre NOVA's current COVID-19 policy requires patrons to present proof of vaccination and wear a mask while in the building. In addition, we currently limit our seating capacity to 50% to allow social distancing. This policy is subject to change anytime, following fluctuating local, state, and federal guidelines. Please check our current COVID-19 policy before your scheduled performance date.
PrideSource
THIS MICHIGAN PLAYWRIGHT HAS SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT RACE, QUEERNESS, GOD, AND TUPAC. HE'S FINALLY SAYING THEM.
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“I’m so glad that people are having conversations, finally, about the disrespect that the American educational system has for teachers,” Rodriguez says. “I think it’s a long overdue conversation, but it also makes me wonder, OK, and now what are we going to do about that?”
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What Rodriguez has done, and will continue to do, is pose these questions to live audiences. Reflecting on the process of creating this play, he thought it was “completely unproducible” in 2015. Still, even as conversations about race and identity have become more mainstream, Rodriguez chose not to rewrite the play for a 2022 audience.
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“It makes me wonder how much is still relevant,” Rodriguez says, “which in some ways that can feel kind of sad, that we’re still having the same conversations that were in my forefront in 2015. But I think it showed that 2020 gave us a lot of pause and reflection to think about these conversations and think about these problems. And now we’re in the phase where we can start to take action on them and start to really delve into that conversation where I think so many more people are invested in it now than 2015 or 2010.”
