Based on the playwright's life, Bla(n)ck Piranha follows main character Dot as she understands the multiple violences that befall her own black body. Throughout the journey of the play, Dot grapples with falling in love, making her way through addiction and figuring out how to process the recent death of her mother. This is a story about the power of healing through love, the pain of self-actualization, and ultimately, the ramifications of asserting one's individuality in a society that will not hesitate to erase and homogenize black female identity. Through a combination of spoken word poetry, interlude, epilogues, music and dialogue, Bla(n)ck Piranha is set in many locations, spaces, and figments of Dot's imagination, memories and thoughts that play out as physical manifestations on the stage.

This performance is part of the Department of Theater's Fall 2019 New Works Weekend, presenting staged readings of two original works written by current students.

SHAMELL BELL director
MILLENAH NASCIMENTO '21 stage manager