Questions are Raised as the University of Connecticut Shuts Down the Sold Out Performance of Play About Police Brutality

Questions are Raised as the University of Connecticut Shuts Down the Sold Out Performance of Play About Police Brutality on Opening Night

The show's director was told the production would proceed with an audience on Saturday, as long as social distancing was adhered to, but next she was told something different.

Even if you were fortunate enough to get a ticket to The Connecticut Repertory Theatre's sold-out run of Food For the Gods, you won't be able to see it-all performances have been canceled. With the director given the condition to keep a portion of the play about police brutality and racialized violence from audience viewing- for covid cautions-and students still being permitted to attend in person classes, and sold out sporting events, they have begun to question the real reasons for why this socially distanced and socio-political play has been canceled.

Food For the Gods is an audience immersive theatrical experience, written and directed by Nehprii Amenii in response to the killings of Black men by police and other institutions of authority. The show was slated to open this past Friday, with an already sold out run. At the beginning of opening week, a student from the show's cast tested positive for Covid-19. To ensure safety for the cast and crew, the company decided to take pause for the scheduled Wednesday and Thursday dress rehearsal and preview, and to postpone Friday's opening night to ensure the remainder of the cast tested negative throughout the incubation period. Questions immediately began to surface regarding the university's testing policies, availability, and affordable access for student testing. Read more here