♪♪ >> CATHY: THE ORDWAY AND THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER HAVE A NEW COLLABORATION.

THEY'VE CREATED THE VISION TRUST, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO CONNECT WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AROUND THE CURRENT PRODUCTION - "A SOLDIER'S PLAY."

THE DRAMA FOLLOWS THE MURDER OF THE SERGEANT OF AN ALL-BLACK ARMY UNIT, SET IN THE SEGREGATION-ERA SOUTH.

HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE VISION TRUST AND ITS WORK TO CONNECT WITH ACTIVE MILITARY, VETERANS, AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY, CHRIS HARRINGTON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE ORDWAY, AND KEDAR HICKMAN WITH THE ST. PAUL FOUNDATION.

HE BRINGS A BACKGROUND OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE TO THE VISION TRUST.

IT'S GOOD TO SEEUS BOTH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CHRIS, THIS IS AN INTENSE PLAY.

IT REALLY IS.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: CAN YOU GIVE FOLKS A THUMBNAIL OF WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT?

>> SOLDIER'S PLAY IS A PULITZER PRIZE WINNING PLAY WRITTEN BY THE PLAY GREAT PLAYWRIGHT, CHARLES FULLER.

SEGREGATED ARMY BASE IN LOUISIANA.

IT REALLY IS SET AS A WHO-DUN-IT, SORT OF THIS MURDER MYSTERY THAT FOLLOWS THE INVESTIGATION OF A SERGEANT WHO WAS KILLED IN THE OPENING SCENE AND YOU'RE LITERALLY ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERFORMANCE, JUST GOING ON THE EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER, LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT THEMES, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE A SERGEANT AND PART OF THE MILITARY BACK IN THE '40s.

SO IT'S VERY INTENSE.

BUT IT'S A VERY POWERFUL STORY THAT I THINK IS VERY RELEVANT TODAY.

AND I KNOW THAT OUR AUDIENCES ARE GOING TO ENJOY SEEING IT.

>> Eric: I WAS GOING TO SAY WITH THE LATEST RACIAL RECKONING, OBVIOUSLY THE TIMING IS VERY GOOD FOR THIS, I WOULD THINK.

>> YEAH.

REALLY, IT IS.

INSIDE OF COMMUNITIES, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE SPACES TO BE ABLE TO MEET TOGETHER, TO HEAL TOGETHER, TO STRATEGIZE TOGETHER, TO THINK FORWARD TOGETHER.

ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF THIS KIND OF RECKONING INSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETY.

>> Cathy: SO HOW WILL THIS PLAY, THEN, BE THE CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS?

>> YEAH, WELL, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PRESENTING THIS, AGAIN.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WRITTEN IN THE '80s, SET IN THE '40s, A LOT OF THE THEMES ARE STILL RELEVANT TODAY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ORDWAY REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS TO DO THIS FOR COMMUNITY BUT TO DO THIS ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY.

SO WE KNEW THAT GIVEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGING THEMES THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REACHED OUT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE.

BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ON A LONG JOURNEY OVER THE PAST YEAR, PARTNERING WITH SOUL TOUCH PRODUCTIONS, PARTNERING WITH THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER AND PARTNERING ALSO WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR AUDIENCES WERE PREPARED.

SO WE FORMED THE VISION TRUST.

YOU KNOW, THIS WAS ACTUALLY A VISION BY ROBIN HICKMAN WINFIELD WHO HAS BEEN A LONGTIME ADVISOR TO THE ORDWAY, SHE'S MAKING SURE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GET THESE COMMUNITY LEADERS.

IT'S ABOUT A GROUP OF 20 MEN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FAITH LEADERS, YOU HAVE POLICY MAKERS, YOU HAVE EDUCATORS, WE HAD A POWERFUL GATHERING BACK IN DECEMBER TO REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET THIS WORD OUT ABOUT A SOLDIER'S PLAY TO OUR COMMUNITY.

SO JUST BEING ABLE TO CREATE SPACE TO HAVE THESE CURRENTLIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

I'M HOPING WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SEE THIS PLAY, IT WILL INSPIRE CURIOSITY AND REALLY MPATHY.

I OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS AND PLAYS LIKE THIS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT MORE IN COMMON THAN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

SO I THINK THIS HAS THE ABILITY TO KIND OF BUILD THE EMPATHY AND TO REALLY ENCOURAGE US TO TAP INTO OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS >> Cathy: WE SHOULD SAY, THIS IS YOUR ISTER THAT HAS GOT THE SPARK GOING.

>> IT IS.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO FEEL AND HEAR OUT OF THE CONNECTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY?

ESPECIALLY AS THIS PLAY IS PRESENTED.

>> OU NOW, I WANT TO HEAR AND FEEL THE WELLNESS IN OUR PARTNERSHIPS OF BEING ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ONE ANOTHER, TO GATHER IN A SPACE THAT SAYS THAT IT'S OKAY TO SAY THAT WE ARE OKAY WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER.

AND WE CAN -- WE CAN SPEAK TO HARD TOPICS AND KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT SO FRAGILE AS TO FALL APART, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE FIVE FINGERS COMING TOGETHER, WE CAN COME OUT AND WE CAN MEET ANY CHALLENGE.

THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN COMMUNITY TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

IN A WAY THAT HASN'T BEEN BUILT BEFORE WITH THE ORDWAY AND WITH THE HUMANITIES CENTER AS WELL.

>> Eric: DO YOU THINK THAT A WHITE AUDIENCE AND A BLACK AUDIENCE WOULD GET DIFFERENT MESSAGES FROM THIS OR WOULD THEY BOTH GET THE SAME MESSAGE WATCHING IT?

>> THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK THE PLAY IS SO POWERFUL AND, AGAIN, SO RELEVANT TO TODAY, I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME IN AND THEY'LL PROBABLY WALK AWAY WITH DIFFERENT MESSAGES.

IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE BLACK EXPERIENCE, IT TALKS ABOUT, AGAIN, BEING A VETERAN, WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO SERVE, YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMUNITY SOMETIMES WHEN YOUR SERVICE WASN'T AS VALUED AS SOMEONE THAT'S NEXT TO OU.

SO I THINK AUDIENCES ARE GOING TO WALK AWAY WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FROM THIS.

SOME WILL COME AND THEY'LL BE ENTERTAINED.

SOME PEOPLE WILL BE CHALLENGED.

BUT I'M HOPING THAT IT WILL JUST CREATE THAT SPACE FOR US AGAIN TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO PEOPLE, THEY'LL LEARN A LOT, THERE ARE A LOT OF THEMES THAT I THINK WILL COME UP AND PEOPLE WILL WALK AWAY FROM DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THIS PLAY.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON AUDIENCE MESSAGING?

>> AUDIENCE MESSAGING, YOU USE THE WORD "RECKONING."

SO FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, PERSONALLY, THEY MAY HAVE SOME PERSONAL RECKONINGS WITH THIS.

INSIDE OF COMMUNITY, ONE F OUR RECKONINGS AND A PART OF THIS VISION TRUST HELPS US TO RECONCEPTUALIZE EVEN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SOLDIER AND TO BE A BLACK MAN AND BE A SOLDIER IN SOCIETY.

AND IN WHAT OFTENTIMES FEELS LIKE WAR-LIKE SITUATIONS.

>> Cathy: NOW, THE CAST IS FABULOUS.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: UM-HUM.

>> SO IT'S ACTUALLY STARRING THE GREAT NORM LEWIS, A LOT OF FOLKS MAY KNOW HIM FROM THE TV SHOW SCANDAL.

HE'S BEEN IN LES MIS, FIRST AFTER CAN AMERICAN -- AFRICAN AMERICAN TO PLAY THE LEADING ROLE OF PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

HIS BODY OF WORK IS REALLY REALLY EXTENSIVE.

ALL-STAR CAST, EUGENE LEE, IS IN IT, HE WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION IN 1981.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE BRINGING THAT TO THE TWIN CITIES.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING IT IN NEW HAVEN A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.

I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THOSE 12 MEN GET UP ON STAGE AND REALLY POUR OUT OUR THEATERS, NIGHT AND NIGHT OUT.

AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EXCHANGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, ITTING IN THE AUDIENCES, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PRESENTING THIS IN A ERY INTIMATE SPACE LIKE THE FITZGERALD, TOO, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY PRESENTED A PLAY THERE IN OLLABORATION WITH FIRST AVENUE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW EING.

SO DOING THAT WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTYERS IN, I LIKE TO QUOTE MY AFRICAN PROVERB, IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.

SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THAT.

MINNESOTA HUMANITIES, CENTER, FIRST AVENUE, WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE St. PAUL LEADERSHIP.

ITIS I IT'S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL COMING TOGETHER.

THE AUDIENCES WILL BENEFIT FROM ALL THE AMAZING WORK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE PAST YEAR.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP MAYBE OF VISION TRUST?

TAKE A STEP RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, GET THIS DONE.

>> YEAH.

I THINK IT'S ABOUT -- THIS IS AN INITIATIVE OF PERPETUITY.

WITH THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE INGENUITY TO BE ABLE TO MEET SOME OF THE PRESENT MOMENT ISSUES.

SO I THINK THIS IS ABOUT CONTINUING TO CREATE SPACES IN WHICH COMMUNITY CAN SPEAK TOGETHER.

IT IS CONTINUING TO BUILD THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, SO WE ALL FEEL VALUED AND WELCOMED IN THESE PLACES AND SPACES AND WE CAN GROW AND LEARN TOGETHER THROUGH THE ARTS AND CULTURE.

>> Eric: FEBRUARY 8 THROUGH THE 12th AT THE FITS.

>>