Right now in Hartford, a play about a play is on stage at Hartford Stage. Trouble In Mind is the Alice Childress production, written and set in the 1950s, about a group of actors confronting questions of race power and more as they rehearse for a Broadway production.
Despite being nearly 70 years old, themes in the play, ring eerily true in 2023 as they did when the story first took shape decades ago.
Yale drama graduate Christopher Betts is the production’s director.
“There's so many issues that she was writing about in 1955. That feel so current, unfortunately. And even though I know that on some of these issues, the needle has moved, for it to still be so present is still something that we have to deal with," Betts said.
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Heather Alicia Simms plays Wiletta Mayor, the fictional production’s lead actress. She was born in Hartford, and the chance to take part in the production is a homecoming with a purpose.
“Being able to develop a play at the theater that I have longed to work with, has been really, really good. Dream come true” said Mayer.
Trouble In Mind is showing at the Hartford Stage from May 25 to June 18.
Learn more about Trouble In Mind here. Learn more about Hartford Public Library’s ticketing options here.
