Mr. Joy: A poignant story of class, race and learning to dream again

At the Strand Theatre on Thursday April 20th @ 7:30 p.m. and  Friday April 21st @ 8:00 p.m. Reserve your FREE tickets here!

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is disrupted when a Chinese immigrant’s shoe repair shop, a neighborhood pillar for decades, does not open its doors. Playwright and artist Daniel Beaty returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the lens of nine shop customers, ranging from 11-year-old Clarissa, a budding shoe designer, to Bessie, a “gangsta granny,” who reflect on the shop owner’s impact and together learn how a community can learn to heal in order to dream again.

This is a direct response to audiences who experienced the production at the Paramount Theatre during our Fall 2015 season and requested that the play be taken throughout the communities of Boston where it would have a direct impact on residents of all backgrounds. The tour provides community organizations with the opportunity to help lead a conversation on race, cultural identity, hope, community regeneration and the power of spoken word and personal narratives.

DSNI's Arts and Culture Committee have been working on this partnership with Arts Emerson since April/May of 2016.  This is a proud accomplishment on behalf of our Arts and Culture work and we would like to celebrate it with you.