The Burning of Greenwood

100 Years later, We will not Forget

Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1921.
John and Loula Williams are proud business owners in the bustling Greenwood district. By day they operate a popular confectionery, and at night they run the Williams Dreamland Theater, showing the latest moving pictures to the many residents of the area.

But one day, an all-too-familiar scene plays out: A white woman screams. A Black man runs away in fear. But this time, the already simmering racial tensions in the city finally boil over, and the Williamses and all the residents of Greenwood are forced to fight for their lives as the powder keg ignites around them.

A shorter, less expansive version of this show was presented in the 2022 Minnesota Fringe. That production, Black Wall Street: Dreamland Theater, received rave reviews and standing ovations during the festival. Now nimbus, frequent collaborator Doc Woods, and playwright Atlese Robinson have teamed up to bring this searing and important story to the stage in its expanded scope, moving beyond just the Dreamland Theater to the broader community. A story not just about tragedy, but of the entrepreneurship, work ethic, community building, and resilience of a people to build not just financial, but cultural and spiritual wealth in the face of Jim Crow.

By Atlese Robinson, directed by Doc Woods

Featuring: Tre’ Beck, Nathan Block, Michael Galvan, B.E. Kerian, Camrin King, Tara Lucchino, Quintin Michael, Jeremie Niyonkuru Jr., Kira K. Spears, Emmanuel L. Woods

Design by Mitchell Frazier, Tyler Krohn, Jenny Moeller, Dameun Strange

Stage Managed by Erin Gustafson, ASM Jasmine Clopton

The performance runs approx. 75 minutes in one act. This show contains strong language, loud noises and flashing lights, and depictions of extreme violence.