The Snowden Auditorium filled up Thursday night for the reading of the play, “Terrodope.” The play was written by University of Massachusetts Boston Professor of Africana Studies, Robert Johnson Jr. It was directed by Jacqui Parker, who Johnson praises for her devotion to theater.
“Terrodope” is about a present day man, Eldridge, who encounters the spirits of 18th-century African slaves that gives him the chance to deepen his connection with his culture. The title, “Terrodope,” is a play on the words “terror” and “dope” that connects to the idea that terrorists use cocaine to attack Americans in the play. The African spirits Eldridge talks to try to convince him of the terrorists’ actions and get him to take the information to Obama, in the hopes that it will stop false condemnation of African Americans.
The play is based around the conviction of the three slaves Dido Toure, Pompey Lumumba, and Turk Nkrumah. They were the slaves of Ambrose Madison, the grandfather of President James Madison, and were charged with his murder. Professor Johnson researched the case while on sabbatical at the University of Virginia in 2006.
Professor Johnson incorporates their real life story into his play in order to keep their memories alive, instead of being buried in history. He uses drama as a teaching tool to bring history to life outside of a typical classroom atmosphere. Professor Johnson, who has been writing plays since high school, uses drama as a way to express himself in a creative way.
At the end of the play’s reading, Professor Johnson asked the audience for their feedback on what they liked or disliked about the play. He plans to take all of the responses and revise the play for about a month. After the play is finished, he will start a workshop for it and then take it to a theater company.