‘We Shall Not Be Moved’ presented through May 21
The Pittsburgh Opera presents “We Shall Not Be Moved” on select dates through Sunday, May 21.
The Pittsburgh Opera presents “We Shall Not Be Moved” on select dates through Sunday, May 21.
“We Shall Not Be Moved,” a timely exploration of past and present struggles that suggests an alternate future through the eyes of its young protagonists, is being presented by the Pittsburgh Opera at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh.
The performances combine spoken word, contemporary movement, video projection, classical, R&B, and jazz singing, and a brooding and joyful score filled with place, purpose, and possibility.
The show chronicles the journey of five Philadelphia teens who find themselves on the run after a tragic series of events. The teens find refuge in an abandoned, condemned house at the exact location that served as headquarters of the MOVE organization, where a 1985 standoff with police ended with a neighborhood destroyed and 11 people dead, including five children. The self-defined family is assuaged and inspired by the ghosts who inhabit this home, and begin to see their squatting as a matter of destiny and resistance rather than urgent fear.
Shows are on Tuesday, May 16, at 7 p.m., Friday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 21, at 2 p.m.
A special community matinee will be held on Thursday, May 18, at 10:30 a.m. That show is designed for community groups with low-price tickets available. Those interested in that performance can contact Wendy Parkulo at 412-281-0912 ext. 213 for more information.
For tickets to other performances, visit opera.culturaldistrict.org/.
The August Wilson Center is located at 980 Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.