by Dominique Morisseau
directed by Kyle Donnelly
PLAY G U I D E
IN THIS PLAY GUIDE ABOUT THIS PLAY GUIDE
DETROIT ‘67 This play guide is a resource designed to enhance your theatre
experience. Its goal is twofold: to nurture the teaching and learning
of theatre arts, and to encourage essential questions that lead to an
enduring understanding of the play’s meaning and relevance. Inside
3 PLOT SUMMARY,
you will find information about the plot and characters within the
SETTINGS, AND
play, as well as articles that contextualize the play and its production
CHARACTERS at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Oral discussion and writing prompts
encourage your students to reflect upon their impressions, analyze
4
ABOUT THE AUTHOR key ideas, and relate them to their personal experiences and the world
around them. These prompts can easily be adapted to fit most writing
6 GLOSSARY objectives. We encourage you to adapt and extend the material in any
way that best fits the needs of your community of learners. Please feel
free to make copies of this guide, or you may download it from our
8 TIMELINE
website at actorstheatre.org. We hope this material, combined with
our pre-show workshops, will give you the tools to make your time at
10
WRITING PORTFOLIO & Actors Theatre a valuable learning experience.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our play guides, please
contact Jane B. Jones, Education Director, at 502.584.1265 x3045.
2
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Jane B. Jones
EDUCATION MANAGER
Betsy Anne Huggins
EDUCATION ASSOCIATE
Lexy Leuszler
RESIDENT
TEACHING ARTISTS
Liz Fentress
Keith McGill
Talleri McRae
Letitia Usher
DETROIT ’67 PLOT SUMMARY
EDUCATION/TEACHING
ARTIST APPRENTICES It’s the summer of 1967, and the irresistible music of Motown is breaking records and
Elliott Talkington breaking down barriers. Siblings Chelle and Lank make ends meet by running an
Victoria Masteller unofficial nightclub in their Detroit basement, a risky business as police crack down
on after-hours joints in black neighborhoods. When Lank offers shelter to an injured
PLAY GUIDE BY
Lexy Leuszler
white woman, tensions escalate both in their home and in their community—and they
find themselves caught in the middle of the ‘67 Detroit riots. Dominique Morisseau’s
GRAPHIC DESIGN deeply-felt drama explores an explosive moment in a great American city.
Amie Villiger
SETTING
316 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202-4218
July 1967 in Detroit, Michigan. Chelle and Lank’s house is located at the intersection of
12th Street and Clairmount Avenue. Though the characters and the house are fictional,
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 12th and Clairmount was at the epicenter of the actual riot that occurred in 1967.
Les Waters
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Kevin E. Moore CHARACTERS
CHELLE (MICHELLE) – Lank’s older sister. A widow and a mother, Chelle remains
steadfast in her determination to use money inherited from her parents’ deaths to
support her son’s college tuition.
BUNNY (BONITA) – Chelle & Lank’s family friend. Determined to never let anything
get her down, Bunny is often the life of the party.
SLY (SYLVESTER) – Lank’s best friend. A sweet-talking hustler and numbers man,
Sly dreams of opening a business with Lank.
3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU, Playwright/Actress, is alumni of
the Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project
Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop. Credits include: Skeleton
Crew (Sundance; Lark Barebones; Atlantic Theater Company
(Scott Rudin); Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of
Harlem/NBT); Sunset Baby (Gate Theater; LAByrinth Theatre);
Follow Me To Nellie’s (O’Neill; Premiere Stages). She has
produced other original works with the Hip Hop Theater Festival,
Penn State University, American Theatre of Harlem and The
New Group. Her 3-play cycle, entitled “The Detroit Projects”
include Detroit ’67, Paradise Blue, and Skeleton Crew. Paradise
Blue premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July
2015 starring Blair Underwood and directed by Ruben Santiago-
Hudson. Dominique is currently the Story Editor on the Showtime
series Shameless. Awards: Jane Chambers Playwriting Award,
two-time NAACP Image Award, Primus Prize commendation,
Stavis Playwriting Award, Spirit of Detroit Award, U of M
Emerging Leader Award, Weissberger Award, PoNY Fellowship,
Sky-Cooper New American Play Prize, The Graham F. Smith
Peace Foundation Award, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for
Dominique Morisseau
Drama, and the Obie Collaboration Award.
Kristin Leahey: What inspired you to write this play? learning about The Rebellion. It’s not taught in schools.
It’s not being kept alive through conversation. So I went
DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU: Aside from me and my entire out to learn about it on my own. Additionally, I think what
family being from Detroit, I really wanted to dive into made me really want to start working on this project was
Detroit’s history and look at the important moments that a desire to contribute a different narrative about Detroit
changed the landscape of our city. And 1967 was definitely than what is out there right now. I don’t think the media
one of the more definitive moments. Growing up in Detroit, always depicts our city with fairness. The Detroit I grew
there is no real intellectual study of our history. There’s not up in and understand was built on the backs of these small
a lot of talk about the “riots”—though many people would communities made up of real people. And I wanted to tell
tell me not to call them “riots,” they’d tell me to call them a story from that perspective. I wanted to bring the soul of
“The Great Rebellion...”—So many people don’t grow up that into the national conversation about Detroit.
4
KL: It seems like music is a really big part of your life, my mother. I don’t know if she used to play it for me all the
not to mention the play. Can you talk a bit about the time or not. But my aunt heard me mention that song and
music in the piece? how it inspired me, and she said she used to play it for me
when I was growing up and dancing with her. Somewhere
DM: Music helps to give me a sense of the world within a subconsciously, that song lives in my mind and in my heart.
play. Whenever I write, I use music as the backdrop. Even if It’s like this song is family.
I don’t write the songs I’ve been listening to into the play,
it still is a huge influence for me. It informs the world, gives KL: Do you still have any family that lives in Detroit?
me a local color, a language for the period, the attitude and
the spirit of what I’m writing. Motown is definitely a no- DM: Oh, all of my family lives in Detroit. All of them.
brainer when it comes to Detroit in the ‘60s. There’s very little empathy for the people who live in
Detroit, and there’s such a bleak hopelessness that’s
KL: Are there particular songs that were/are a part of been assigned to their situation. That’s what bothers me
your life or your parents’ lives that made it into this most. And the people who say those things really don’t
play? understand our city. And I think when we hear certain
things about ourselves over and over we start to believe in
DM: My instinct was to look for groups or singers that I them - even the best of us. That’s the power of writing. The
wasn’t already hip to. What people listened to on a record in media really has the power to manipulate peoples’ beliefs.
1967 is not necessarily the song that was the most popular. So I too want to manipulate peoples’ beliefs and get people
So filling a play with music brings in another character and to start believing in our city again. It’s the city’s music in
lets characters relate to one another through the music. this story that unifies people of different backgrounds,
I wanted these characters to listen to music that had a politics, and worldviews. And I think that when we are
particular message or point of view that spoke to where presented with stories that can teach us about that kind of
they were or what they were going through, not just what heart, we can shrug off the city’s labels and begin to really
was the most popular. “My Baby Loves Me” transports me believe in the people that live there.
to another world whenever I listen to it. It reminds me of
Detroit ’67 is part one of a three part play cycle focused on the city of Detroit. The second play, Paradise Blue, is set
in 1949 in a thriving black community referred to as “Paradise Valley” for jazz performers. The third play Skeleton
Crew is set in 2008 in the last standing automobile plant in Detroit due to economic recession.
Skeleton Crew, Atlantic Theatre Company Paradise Blue, Williamstown Theatre Festival
5
GLOSSARY
AFTER-HOURS JOINT: Also referred to as a “blind pig” or a “speakeasy,” these establishments were illicit clubs,
bars and gambling sites that were unlicensed and operated in homes or the backrooms of businesses. After-hours
joints were created as result of Prohibition during 1920–1933 and thrived in Detroit well after Prohibition was
repealed in 1933.
BLACK FIST: A symbol of Black Nationalism that is largely associated with the Black Panther Party and the Black
Power Movement, a radical strand of the Civil Rights Movement that reached its height in the 1960s and ‘70s.
JOE LOUIS: Also known as “The Brown Bomber,” Joseph Louis Barrow was an African-American heavyweight
boxer who reigned as the world heavyweight champ for 12 years from 1937–1949. Originally born in Alabama, Louis
and his family moved to Detroit in 1924 where he began his boxing training.
EIGHT-TRACK: A magnetic tape player developed in 1964 and popular until the late 1970’s when it was replaced
by the Compact Cassette. Each tape was able to play 8 songs, or up to 80 minutes of music.
45’S: A vinyl record that spun at 45 rotations per minute and contained one “single,” or song, on each side of the
record.
MOTOWN RECORDS: A record company founded in Detroit in 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown is a combination
of the words “motor” and “town” and was also a nickname for the city of Detroit. The popularity of the “Motown
Sound” –soul-influenced music with a pop beat– helped launch the careers of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles,
The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and many more.
THE TEMPTATIONS: An all-male group of 5 vocalists from Detroit, Michigan; they were the first Motown group
to win a Grammy with their song “Cloud Nine” in 1969. Their signature song, written and recorded in 1964, is “My
Girl.” They are one of the most successful groups in musical history.
THE FOUR TOPS: Created in 1952, the Four Tops were a vocal quartet from Detroit whose members met at a high
school birthday party. They signed with Motown Records in 1964 and, with the help of the production team of
Holland-Dozier-Holland, released their two chart-topping hits “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be
There.”
SMOKEY ROBINSON: Founder and the lead singer of the popular Motown group “The Miracles,”
Robinson also served as the Vice President of Motown Records.
TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE: A private, historically black college, now known as Tuskegee University, founded in
1881 by Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1941, The U.S. Army Air Corps established a training
program for black military pilots on Moton Field at the Institute which yielded “The Tuskegee Airmen,” a famous
group of African-American pilots, during World War II.
THE BIG FOUR: In the 1950’s, the Detroit Police force created a tactical unit nicknamed “The Big Four” that
consisted of 3 plainclothes police officers riding in an unmarked police car with a uniformed officer. They
frequently patrolled African-American neighborhoods and gained a reputation for their brutality and physical
intimidation of black suspects and civilians.
THE VIETNAM WAR: Referred to as “Nam” by Sly in Detroit ‘67, The Vietnam War lasted from 1955–1975
in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The war ended in the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam and the
reunification of North and South Vietnam under Communist rule. During the war, African-American soldiers
accounted for a quarter of soldiers killed in action, as they had a much higher likelihood of assignment to front-line
positions than other soldiers.
6
Motown “The Four Tops” Record
Eight-Track Player
The Temptations
May 17, 1954 August 28, 1963 February 21, 1965 June 12, 1967
Brown v. The Board of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X is Loving v. Virginia
Education of Topeka delivers his “I Have a assassinated. rules that prohibiting
Kansas rules that Dream” speech at the interracial marriage is
segregation in schools is Lincoln Memorial. unconstitutional.
unconstitutional.
8
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
The Civil Rights Movement in American history, refers to a national protest against racial segregation, discrimination
and oppressive practices against African-American citizens. The movement rose to prominence in the 1950’s and
60’s when national leaders and groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized rallies, lobbied for equal rights legislation and established
nonviolent civil disobedience practices during their protests. The name “civil rights” is a reference to the rights
granted to all American citizens by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
9
WRITING PORTFOLIO
NARRATIVE: CCRA.W.3 senseless looters that cost the city millions of dollars and
robbed many citizens of their homes and businesses. Do
Dominique Morrisseau mentions that she wrote Detroit
some further research into the cause of the 1967 Detroit
‘67 and her Detroit play cycle “to contribute a different
riot. After considering all of the events leading up to the
narrative about Detroit than what is out there right now,”
night of July 23rd and the national climate, do you think
because she doesn’t believe the media accurately portrays
the citizens of 12th and Clairmount had good reason to
the real people and soul of her hometown city. Consider
fight back against the police? Do you side with the police
how the city of Louisville is portrayed, or how your
and government of Detroit in considering the riot an act
neighborhood is portrayed, by local and national news
of senseless violence? Write an essay stating whether you
and media outlets. Do you agree with their perception of
think it should be deemed a “riot” or a “rebellion” and offer
Louisville? Are there people or parts of your city that aren’t
evidence and examples to support your decision.
showcased to the nation? If you were to write a fictional
play or short story, what people or settings would you use
to highlight the soul and people of your city on a national INFORMATIVE: CCRA.W.2
level? What do you want other people to know about
Write a review of the performance of Detroit ‘67 that you
Louisville? Write a short scene that contains characters
saw at Actors Theatre of Louisville. What parts of the
and a location that you think reflects your Louisville. Is
play (the actors’ performances, the set, props, costumes,
there specific music playing in the background? Are the
lighting and sound design, etc.) were your favorites and
characters discussing a local issue that pertains to their
why? How effective were these elements in telling the
neighborhood? Consider how your characters sound, dress
story? Back up your claims with evidence and details from
and move in your scene to reflect your city.
your experience of watching the performance. Then, make
a copy and send it to the education department at
ARGUMENTATIVE: CCRA.W.1
The 1967 Detroit riot has a contested history. To the Actors Theatre of Louisville
African-American community members of Detroit, it was c/o Jane B. Jones
the result of many years of discrimination in the realm of 316 West Main Street
urban housing, unfair employment practices and police Louisville, Kentucky 40202
brutality. Some scholars refer to the riot as “The Great
Rebellion.” To outsiders of Detroit and the national media, We will share your thoughts with the creative team.
the events of July 23rd–27th of 1967 was a “riot” led by
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS POST-SHOW QUESTIONS
1. Even though Detroit ’67 was written in 2013, it takes 1. Do you agree with Lank’s decision to use the
place in a very specific time period 46 years earlier. inheritance money to start a bar and see the potential
It is considered a “contemporary play” in American of his future in Detroit? Or do you side with Chelle to
Theatre, meaning that its themes are fresh and invest the money in the future of her son, Julius, and
relatable to its current audience. Based on your his education at the Tuskegee Institute?
knowledge of the play, what connections might the 2. Do you think that Lank should be romantically
playwright be trying to make between our current involved with Caroline? Did you agree with Chelle
American society and the America of 1967? and think that Lank should have stayed away from
Caroline? Consider all of the historical factors
2. Listen to the greatest hits of Motown by artists surrounding the characters at this moment. Loving v.
such as The Temptations or Marvin Gaye before Virginia had only passed a month before the events of
you arrive. Do their lyrics and music give you any the play and interracial relationships were only just
clues about the atmosphere of Detroit in 1967? What now accepted as legal.
do they tell you about the world and attitude of the
characters you are about to meet?
10
BRIDGEWORK
AT YOUR DESK AWAY FROM YOUR DESK
1. Dominique Morriseau uses specific music in Detriot 1. At many points in this play, the past is clashing
‘67 to not only capture popular music of the time directly with the future, from Chelle and Lank’s
period, but also to highlight the language, color and arguments about traditional 45 vinyl records and
internal feelings of her characters. What 5–10 songs new eight-track tapes, to the conflict between Lank
and Chelle’s hopes for economic stability and equal
would you choose to help a listener in 2066 understand
civil rights in the future of their city and the history
the mood and atmosphere of your world now?
of police and racial discrimination in Detroit. Think
of other instances in the play where past ideals are
2. Look at the lyrics to “Dancing in The Street” (by in opposition to future ideals. Split into groups of 4
Martha and the Vandellas), “People Get Ready” (by and have students create a tableau (frozen image)
The Impressions) and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” (by that embodies four moments: a) The past ideal as it
The Four Tops). Besides being popular Motown hits, stands, b) the introduction of the new future ideal,
why do you think the playwright chose these specific c) the moment of confrontation between the two
songs for Detroit ‘67? Pick one of the songs and make a ideals, d) what they envision the outcome to be, is
it a compromise of both? Does the future win? Do
list of all of the moments, characters, or settings in the
elements of the past remain?
play that the song could be connected to, and provide
evidence as to why you are making that connection.
2. Throughout the play, Lank dreams of a better future
for his home city of Detroit. He dreams of a Detroit
free from racial oppression and segregation and a city
where he will run his own successful business with
Sly. Have the students break into small groups of 3–4
and discuss their own neighborhoods and community
with guided discussion questions such as: a) Are
there parts of your neighborhood that you would like
to improve? b) Think of your dream city. Are there
values that you would like your dream community to
represent? Write three values down. c) What would
your city be best known for? Write a slogan for your
dream city. d) What does your dream city look like?
11