{"id":14483,"date":"2025-10-21T20:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/14483\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T20:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:21:09","slug":"powerstories-theatre-and-the-studio620-unite-for-cadillac-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/14483\/","title":{"rendered":"Powerstories Theatre And The Studio@620 Unite for Cadillac Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a partnership as bold as the women it honors, Powerstories Theatre and The Studio@620 join forces November 6\u201316 for Cadillac Crew\u2014a powerful, sharply written play by Tori Sampson<\/a> that reclaims the untold story of women who helped drive the Civil Rights Movement.<\/p>\n

Set in Virginia on the day Rosa Parks is scheduled to speak, Cadillac Crew follows four Black women working in a civil rights office, each carrying the dual weight of progress and invisibility. As they prepare for the day\u2019s historic event, they confront the painful truth of being overshadowed within a movement they helped build. Through Sampson\u2019s piercing dialogue and emotional honesty, the play exposes the sacrifices and steadfast defiance of women whose vital voices and deeds were long overlooked\u2014until now. It\u2019s an unflinching reclamation of their place in history, ensuring their legacy finally resonates.<\/p>\n

The title pays homage to the real \u201cCadillac Crews\u201d\u2014groups of women who drove across the country uniting communities in the fight for desegregation and voting rights. Their work was the backbone of the movement, yet their names are rarely found in textbooks.<\/p>\n

For Powerstories Theatre, closing its 25th anniversary season with Cadillac Crew is more than a milestone\u2014it\u2019s a statement of purpose. The company has spent a quarter-century amplifying women\u2019s and girls\u2019 voices, sharing true stories that open minds and hearts. For founder Fran Powers, this production is a living extension of that mission\u2014championing authentic voices, hard truths, and the enduring power of women\u2019s stories. It serves as a poignant reminder that behind every movement are women who carried the weight, did the work, and paved the way for others to stand taller.<\/p>\n

For The Studio@620, opening its 2025\u201326 season with the production is equally significant. Under Erica Sutherlin\u2019s artistic direction, it marks the beginning of a season rooted in truth-telling, community engagement, and the transformative power of art. The timing feels intentional\u2014two theaters meeting at a crossroads of celebration and recommitment to shared values, making this collaboration both natural and deeply meaningful.<\/p>\n

Directed by Sutherlin, the cast features Ivy Sunflower as Rachel, Marjorie Joseph as Abbey, Jai Shanae as Sarah, and Andresia Moseley<\/a> as Dee\u2014four powerhouse performers whose portrayals embody resilience, humor, and hope. Together, they bring to life women whose impact shaped history, even when history forgot their names.<\/p>\n

Moseley says, \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to take on the role of these pioneering women who literally risked life and family to take these trips\u2014to stand for the rights of women. In the case of my character Dee, she does it not only for the cause, but to ensure her daughter grows up in a world, as she says in the script, \u2018where she legally has the right to exist.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be part of these combining theatres that have chosen, especially in the state of the world now, to do this story makes me, as an actress, stand even stronger in my conviction that this work needs and should be done more often. I can use my talent to further voice where I stand\u2014and I stand for Black narratives and that history should not be erased. Our stories need to be told, and as long as I choose the stage, they will be. I am not just doing this work. I am it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cadillac Crew unfolds with urgency and reverence, bridging past and present in a way that feels both timeless and immediate. Under Sutherlin\u2019s direction, the production becomes more than a historical retelling\u2014it\u2019s a reflection and a rallying cry. At its heart, Cadillac Crew honors the women who organized, marched, and sacrificed\u2014often without recognition\u2014for causes greater than themselves. The play urges audiences to remember those who came before, acknowledge those still fighting, and recognize how the stories we tell shape the future.<\/p>\n

The partnership between Powerstories Theatre and The Studio@620 reaffirms theatre\u2019s vital role as both mirror and movement, preserving and provoking through storytelling. In a moment that echoes today\u2019s struggles, seeing Cadillac Crew is more than attending a play\u2014it\u2019s participating in the restoration of lost voices and an urgent reminder of the power of remembrance. This isn\u2019t just history\u2014it\u2019s happening now. The play\u2019s questions about visibility, recognition, and progress demand not just attention, but engagement.<\/p>\n

\"Regional<\/a><\/p>\n

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