John Oluwole ADEkoje's 'Triggered: A Requiem for Healing' Comes to Hibernian Hall
While the visibility of what we call "trauma" has become more tangible as of late, the visibility of black male trauma remains elusive. And as that narrative continues to be untold, the black male body continues to be objectified -- pointed to as either dangerous or erotic -- "a location for transgressive pleasure," as Bell Hooks put it.
"Triggered," starring Keith Mascoll, directed by John Oluwole ADEkoje, and set to run March 7-9 at Hibernian Hall, began as a one-man show centering on Malik who is processing the psychological after-effects of childhood sexual abuse. First performed in open-rehearsal, workshop-style format at Dudley Library last summer, audiences were invited to participate in the development of the piece by offering their feedback. In a sense, "Triggered" is more than a play. It's an inherently collaborative, multi-media, multi-sensory, empathy-generating story.
How exactly does trauma cast a shadow over the wholeness of black male selfhood? When the shared cultural values of black and brown communities demand that men suppress their vulnerability and meet with their psychology alone, what kind of masculine identity is constructed and how can we redefine it? How do we stop reinforcing a mythology that masquerades as nature?
The hope is that "Triggered" invites us to explore these questions and their implications for our communities as a whole inspiring an open dialogue in which generations of stored trauma and silenced pain can be expressed and felt. By saying, "I was there and this is what happened," the testimonies of Keith and Malik show us how abuse survivors can begin to knit their
subjectivity back together -- become real again.
"It's time for men to heal" says Mascoll, who received a Boston Foundation L.A.B. grant for the performance, and who is a survivor of sexual abuse himself.
About the Creators
Keith Mascoll Actor/Producer/Writer
Keith is a full-time actor, educator, producer, art social worker, and Cambridge native. A Teaching Artist for the Huntington Theatre Company and Co-founder of the Front Porch Arts Collective, his work centers around
telling stories from the perspective of black and brown artists.
John Oluwole ADEkoje Writer/Director/Producer
John Oluwole ADEkoje is a graduate of Humboldt State University with a M.F.A. in dramatic writing and an M.A. in film production. He is national award winner of the Kennedy Center: ACTF-Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award as well as the 2006 Roxbury Film Festival Award for Emerging Local Filmmaker.
Dr. Martin Pierre, PhD Consultant/Writer
Dr. Martin Pierre is a staff psychologist at Brandeis University Counseling Center. His clinical and research interests focus on multicultural counseling, culturally responsive interventions and the impact of trauma and race related stress on the psychological functioning of people of color.
Roxann Mascoll Consultant/Producer
Roxann Mascoll ?is a Black Nuyorican Mujerista and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a MSW from Simmons College and masters degree from the University of Massachusetts in Nonprofit Management. Roxann is currently the President of the Greater Boston Association of Black Social Workers.
Event Details
Date: ?March 7-9
Location: ?Hibernian Hall, Roxbury, Mass
Time: ?8 pm doors