Sending it Up When A Pandemic Goes Down: Playing Five/ Man/ Driver in Aleshea Harris' What to Send Up When It Goes Down

Abstract

This project is about my work as an actor on the spring semester mainstage, What to Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris, a piece created in response to racialized violence against black people. This show, unlike many done at Purchase, features an all-black cast of student from all years, under the direction of Elizabeth Van Dyke, a prominent black director. The production was staged as the Coronavirus pandemic began to sweep the nation. This project discusses my goals as an actor on the production and how I achieved them through the utilization of various acting techniques and historical research. The project explores my process during the rehearsal period and my experiences during the performance, highlighting the importance of doing this show on a campus like Purchase and why more show like this one should be done.