Posted on Mar 13, 2023
Kansas City native's new play dives deep into the racist history of public pools in America
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Christina Anderson's play follows a Black family's journey through the years after desegregating the public pool in their fictional Kansas town. The show will tour 10 Kansas City community centers and libraries, after completing a run at Kansas City Repertory Theatre.
Despite having some of the best education America has to offer, 43-year-old Christina Anderson is lost whenever she’s around water.
“I don't know how to swim — a lot of people in my family don't,” the Kansas City, Kansas, native said. “It's so funny because, I don't even remember as a kid that even being an option, to go to the pool.”
Despite having some of the best education America has to offer, 43-year-old Christina Anderson is lost whenever she’s around water.
“I don't know how to swim — a lot of people in my family don't,” the Kansas City, Kansas, native said. “It's so funny because, I don't even remember as a kid that even being an option, to go to the pool.”
Kansas City native's new play dives deep into the racist history of public pools in America
Posted from kcur.org
Kansas City
Racism
American History
Swimming
Theater
Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."There are 10 local libraries and community centers on the list of venues for this play. Why do people in those spaces need to hear this story too?
Because being in these spaces that aren't traditional proscenium stages, changes how the energy is exchanged with the audience. In my heart, I believe it's a community-based art in that it really is an exchange of energies between audience and performer.
Growing up I can only imagine how it would've impacted me to be able to see a show down the street from my house … to also see somebody who looks like me who's performing at that age.
So it is really exciting for me to shake that up in terms of the venue and the spaces that they're going to be in. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm very honored to be a part of that."
..."There are 10 local libraries and community centers on the list of venues for this play. Why do people in those spaces need to hear this story too?
Because being in these spaces that aren't traditional proscenium stages, changes how the energy is exchanged with the audience. In my heart, I believe it's a community-based art in that it really is an exchange of energies between audience and performer.
Growing up I can only imagine how it would've impacted me to be able to see a show down the street from my house … to also see somebody who looks like me who's performing at that age.
So it is really exciting for me to shake that up in terms of the venue and the spaces that they're going to be in. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm very honored to be a part of that."
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Missouri must be much more backward than anything I've ever encountered, I remember as a kid at the public pool here in Columbus Ohio there were Black kids I went to school with at the pool too.
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