10 Seconds
Written by Miriam Gonzales
Directed by LeeAnet Noble
Asst. Playwright: Tyrese Rowe
Appropriate for grades 8-12
Imagination Stage has commissioned Miriam Gonzales (¡Óyeme!) to write 10 Seconds, a play based on the ideas, conversations, and discoveries from two years of workshops between police and youth. The play will be workshopped for test audiences this spring and tour local schools in February 2021. All performances are accompanied by an audience workshop facilitated by a teaching artist.
In a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold, life can often feel unnerving — a journey that can change for better or worse in a blink of an eye depending on how we see each other. In the play, 10 Seconds, we see through the eyes of Ray and Jimi, Washington, DC high school students who navigate their young adult worlds, and what it means to be young black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day — and “ten seconds” inside that day — that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter. Through audience engagement and interactive moments, the play provides opportunities for reflection and discussion. By “stopping time” the audience is asked to imagine what might happen if we made the effort to pause, listen to one another, question our assumptions, and consider the possibilities for change.
