A new original play came to the HopKins Black Box Theatre last week. “Purple Brick Road to Wondaland,” which ran Wednesday to Sunday, is a show about Black feminist futurity and it is a celebration of community and “sistahood”. The show takes viewers on an out of this world experience, following themes of academia and self-discovery.  

The writer and director of the show, Taren Wilson, is a theater doctoral candidate. She based the concept of the show off of her own experiences in higher education. She emphasized the use of autoethnography and the desire to tell a story that intersects with the experiences of black women in doctoral programs.  

“I like playwriting, and I’m doing my degree in theater,” Wilson said. “That’s really where it started. How do I adapt this model to put my research in this kind of format? And then in the research, there’s a lot of polls about Black women’s experiences and Ph.D.’s. I was like this would be a really cool way to encapsulate my experiences and my research and just kind of tell a cool story.” 

Wilson has created a new world that she calls a “Black feminist dreamland.” In this society, there is an ideal world for learning and higher education. 

“The concept of Black feminist futurity is performing a future you wish already happened, so that it can happen,” Wilson said. “What I was really intentional about when it came to contextualizing was getting things far enough away that people can actually digest what I’m saying, but close enough that we all know what I’m talking about.”

Wilson said the play tries to talk about Black women who have built academic institutions that have now been forgotten. She said speaking these women’s names brings them back to life and allows the audience to pay homage. 

Madison Dumas, animal science and theater freshman, played Tea, the lead of the show. She was in the most recent Black Box production, “Yearning,” when she decided to audition for this show.  

“I love the whole message and everything it stands for, and I really wanted to be a part of that story,” Dumas said. “My favorite thing about my character is how she grows in the story and the changes she makes to herself. She accepts criticism, and she allows herself to be more true to who she actually is.” 

Mass communication junior, Lorena Patterson-Vallian, said that she enjoys working in the Black Box because the audience feels more involved. Her character, Turquoise, is a student in Wondaland who struggles through the show exploring who she truly is. 

“What drew me to this production was the description of the show which kind of featured Black women in academia,” Patterson-Vallian said. “I really wanted to be a part of that because so far. I haven’t been a part of a show that featured Black women and their experiences.”

Brooke DiMaggio, environmental engineering freshman, enjoys working behind the scenes in theater productions. She said her involvement in the show has helped with her abilities in costume making and alterations. 

“I started organizing the costume closet and getting people’s measurements and altering it to people,” DiMaggio said. “It’s fun being able to work behind the scenes as well as onstage. It’s a different part of the theater, which is really cool to see.” 

Trelle Duperon, communication studies senior, portrays the role of Mykie in the show. Mykie is the lead character’s best friend. She said being a part of the production and being able to share space with others was uplifting for her.  

“‘Serendipitous’ was the word that came to mind for me for this show, casting and everything,” Duperon said. “This show, the people and their energy throughout came at just the right time and unexpectedly.”

Duperon feels that the show has helped her connect with the other members of the theater company. She said that in many ways, the show was a healing journey for her. 

“I’ve become more in tune to my energy and my nature around people,” Duperon said. “This is the place where we can all be vulnerable and be connected and enjoy it.”

Demi Davis, professional theater sophomore, said representation in the industry is essential. 

“I hope that the audience walks away feeling empowered,” Davis said. “I believe they should take away that no matter what walk of life you come from there’s a sense of belonging especially in fine arts.” 

Wilson hopes the audience will be influenced by the story and its theme, with introspection and self-reflection at its core. 

“I think at the very least, I’ve not seen a story like it told in the Black Box, and I think that that’s probably one of the most exciting things about it,” Wilson said. “I want my audience to go on this journey with this character and to relate and learn and have a good time.”