A museum curator gazes down on a flag of candy cane stripes and 50 white stars. She does not pass judgment on the artifacts; she merely catalogues them. But she does write the captions – captions which omit or emphasize information. Just how should she caption the battered flag of the United States of America?
Lisa Siebert’s short play “Acquisition” is a fitting tone-setter for the Arts Uprise Festival. After all, artists bear just as much responsibility as curators in documenting history and the feelings of those who lived through it.
The idea came to journalist Warren Epstein amid the disillusionment he was feeling about the Trump administration.
“Universities are under attack. Museums are under attack,” Epstein said. “When you start attacking the core of our culture, when the president puts himself on the board of the Kennedy Center … the arts as a voice of the people starts to diminish.”
The Arts Uprise Festival is an attempt to amplify that voice.
Taking place June 20-22 at the Millibo Art Theatre, the Arts Uprise Festival will feature visual art curated by Auric Gallery, music by John Spengler, poetry by Ashley Cornelius and five short plays responding to our current moment in American politics.
While the plays are undoubtedly anti-Trump, Epstein hopes that they strike through the heart of “human issues” rather than partisan ones. Epstein listed ICE’s detention of high schooler Marcelo Gomes da Silva and arrest of student protester Mahmoud Khalil as examples.
Epstein’s own script, “Broken Picket Fences,” recognizes the poisoning influence of money in politics and celebrates lawyers and law firms refusing to bend to Trump’s will.
“Joshua Returns” by Jeremiah Walter is the sole comedy script. Jesus Christ (also known as Yeshua/Joshua) rises again, coming across two Christian Trump supporters in a hyperbolic, dystopian America. Misunderstandings ensue as he tries to communicate using verses from the Bible, which the two supporters clearly have not read (“We don’t like proverbs or pronouns!” one of them yells).
What you have to do is put your arms around what you can. – Cam Eickmeyer
The two remaining scripts use natural disasters as metaphors.
Amy Pieri’s “Juggernaut” stars a couple, John and Ellie, on the beach with their young child in the summer of 2027.
John and Ellie have not personally been affected by the Trump administration’s policies. They’re financially well-off and content to ride the waves until they subside, all while ignoring the cries of drowning neighbors.
It’s not until John and Ellie notice a retreating shoreline that they realize a metaphorical and literal tsunami wave is about to pummel down on them.
“We all know what’s right, and we all know we need to do what’s right, and there’s no question about that. So why is it so complicated? And why do we trip up? And why do we feel like we’re stuck?” asked Pieri. “[John and Ellie] just want it to go away and want to ride the wave until it’s over. But it’s not going to be over. People are dying. You can’t just close your eyes … A lot of people have more connections to what’s happening than they realize, than they’re willing or able to see until it’s too late.”
Meanwhile, Cam Eickmeyer’s “While We Still Can” was written in the aftermath of the 2024 election results and depicts the residents of a small town preparing for a hurricane.
Each of the characters responds differently to the oncoming storm. Theresa, a single mother, feels guilty for forgetting to vote in favor of levee construction. Donni, a journalist, catalogues the citizens’ reactions to events with detached excitement. Orphia has the money and means to leave the town behind without a second thought, while optimistic Tito fortifies buildings to prevent damage, insisting that the less destruction there is, the easier it will be to rebuild the town once the storm passes.
“I can’t take on the storm by myself. I can’t tackle Washington. It doesn’t matter how many letters you send. It’s not really going to matter. So, what you have to do is put your arms around what you can,” Eickmeyer explained. “If enough of us do that, then the storm’s not going to take everything.”
Tickets for the Arts Uprise Festival are $20 and available online at TheMAT.org.
The Arts Uprise collection
The Millibo in collaboration with Auric Gallery presents the Arts Uprise collection that will accompany the theatre production June 20-22. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Millibo Art Theatre. View the collection and purchase pieces at AuricGallery.com/collections/arts-uprise.
