Written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays

Directed by Vernice Miller

Starring Laugh Sanchez

About the Play

Where We Stand is a long form poem with humor, heart, and music that tells the story of a man standing before his town asking them for forgiveness after he has made a deal with a mysterious stranger on their behalf.

This piece both engages and implicates the audience in determining the man’s fate. Where We Stand asks what it means to practice compassion, forgiveness and accountability in a democracy.

Join HartBeat Ensemble members director Vernice Miller and multifaceted performer Laugh Sanchez for this uniquely theatrical experience where the outcome is in your hands.

Performance Schedule:

• Thursday, October 9 at 7:30pm
• Friday, October 10 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, October 11 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Tuesday, October 14 at 7:30pm
• Wednesday, October 15 at 7:30pm
• Thursday, October 16 at 7:30pm
• Friday, October 17 at 7:30pm

Venue

Austin Arts Center
Trinity College
300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT

Admission is FREE; reservations strongly encouraged.

Reserve Tickets Here

About the Artists

Laugh Sanchez – Actor

Laugh Sanchez is a multi-disciplinary Puerto Rican performer, writer, and founder of The Rooftop Poets LLC, where he blends theater, spoken word, and music to amplify stories of community and identity.

As an Ensemble member for HartBeat Ensemble, he has supported the development of Youth Play Institute and Moved to Act. Dedicated to empowering emerging voices, Laugh has partnered with universities, arts organizations, and media platforms to create programs that merge performance with professional development.

With a dynamic presence and commitment to storytelling, he brings authenticity and connection to every production he joins.

Vernice Miller – Director

Vernice Miller (she/they) is a Jamaican-born, Afro-Caribbean theatre artist rooted in New York City, whose work across borders is guided by an unwavering faith in the arts as a common language of transformation and hope.

Miller is the Producing Director of Keen Teens, the educational arm of the Obie and Drama Desk Award-winning Keen Company, and co-founder/artistic director of A Laboratory for Actor Training Experimental Theatre Company in New York City.

Directing credits include Chester Theatre Company, WAM Theatre, Joe’s Pub @ The Public Theatre, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, and HartBeat Ensemble, as well as international work in South Africa, Ukraine, Slovenia, Poland, Scotland, and Denmark.

As an actor, she has appeared at The Public Theatre, 59E59 Theatre, The Duke, Brooklyn Academy of Music, La Mama E.T.C., Institute of Contemporary Arts (London), Glej Theatre (Slovenia), Warsztaty Teatralne (Poland), Odin Teatret (Denmark), and Metropole Theatre (Denmark).

She received the London New Play Festival’s Best Actress Award for her solo performance in Medea:Now.

Donnetta Lavinia Grays – Playwright

Donnetta Lavinia Grays is a Columbia, South Carolina-based playwright and actor.

Her credits include:

• Kudzu Calling (World Premiere – Alabama Shakespeare Festival)
• Where We Stand (Lucille Lortel Nominee, Drama League Nominee, 3X AUDELCO Nominee, World Premiere Co-production – WP Theater and Baltimore Centerstage. O’Neill Center Semifinalist)
• Warriors Don’t Cry (Theaterworks USA/Bushnell commission)
• Last Night and the Night Before (World Premiere – Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Kilroys List. Colorado New Play Summit. National New Play Network Showcase. Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award Winner. O’Neill Center Semifinalist)
• Laid to Rest (O’Neill Center Finalist)
• The Review or How to Eat Your Opposition (WP Pipeline Festival. O’Neill Center Finalist)
• The New Normal and The Cowboy is Dying

Part of Theater Week

HartBeat Ensemble’s Where We Stand at the Austin Arts Center is part of Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Theater Week.

Supported By

• Department of Economic and Community Development – CT Office of the Arts
• Greater Hartford Arts Council
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
• Travelers