Join us on Thursday, October 24 at 6:30 pm in the Britton Recital Hall (Earl V. Moore Building) for a table reading with musical excerpts of a libretto-in-progress about the history of sundown towns followed by a Q&A with the audience*

The event will include musical excerpts and discussion by librettist Richard Wesley and composer Theodore Wiprud. Historical context will be provided by Stephen Berrey (History), and the discussion will be moderated by Louise Toppin (SMTD). We’re envisioning the event as an opportunity to share the history about sundown towns, to get feedback, and to consider how music can help us engage productively with hard history. This is a first step toward creating a full production that we intended to stage at the University of Michigan and elsewhere.

This event is made possible by funding from U-M’s Arts Initiative, the Department of History, the Department of American Culture, and the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

*Sundown towns is a term that refers to towns and suburbs that have intentionally excluded some racial groups through ordinances, violence, and informal measures. These towns are spread throughout the US, and the practice first emerged alongside other Jim Crow practices in the late nineteenth century.