DETROIT ‘67
by Dominique Morisseau
directed by Kyle Donnelly
Nov. 15–Dec. 11
2016
502.584.1205
actorstheatre.org
PLAY G U I D E
IN THIS PLAY GUIDE
ABOUT THIS PLAY GUIDE
DETROIT ‘67
This play guide is a resource designed to enhance your theatre
experience. Its goal is twofold: to nurture the teaching and learning
of theatre arts, and to encourage essential questions that lead to an
enduring understanding of the play’s meaning and relevance. Inside
you will find information about the plot and characters within the
play, as well as articles that contextualize the play and its production
at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Oral discussion and writing prompts
encourage your students to reflect upon their impressions, analyze
key ideas, and relate them to their personal experiences and the world
around them. These prompts can easily be adapted to fit most writing
objectives. We encourage you to adapt and extend the material in any
way that best fits the needs of your community of learners. Please feel
free to make copies of this guide, or you may download it from our
website at actorstheatre.org. We hope this material, combined with
our pre-show workshops, will give you the tools to make your time at
Actors Theatre a valuable learning experience.
3 PLOT SUMMARY, SETTINGS, AND CHARACTERS
4
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
6
GLOSSARY
8
TIMELINE
10
WRITING PORTFOLIO &
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
11 BRIDGEWORK
DETROIT ‘67 STUDENT MATINEES AND THIS
PLAY GUIDE ADDRESS SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL
OBJECTIVES:
COMMON CORE STATE
STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Write arguments to support claims
in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine and convey complex ideas
and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details
and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5
Analyze the structure of texts, including
how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a
section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate
to each other and the whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6
Assess how point of view or purpose
shapes the content and style of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content
presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2
Integrate and evaluate information
presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
NATIONAL CORE ARTS
STANDARDS
TH.Re7.1 Perceive and analyze artistic
work.
TH.Re8.1 Interpret intent and meaning
in artistic work.
TH.Re9.1 Apply criteria to evaluate
artistic work.
TH.Cn10.1 Synthesize and relate
knowledge and personal experiences to
make art.
TH.Cn11.1 Relate artistic ideas
and works with societal, cultural
and historical context to deepen
understanding.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our play guides, please
contact Jane B. Jones, Education Director, at 502.584.1265 x3045.
2
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Jane B. Jones
EDUCATION MANAGER
Betsy Anne Huggins
EDUCATION ASSOCIATE
Lexy Leuszler
RESIDENT
TEACHING ARTISTS
Liz Fentress
Keith McGill
Talleri McRae
Letitia Usher
EDUCATION/TEACHING
ARTIST APPRENTICES
Elliott Talkington
Victoria Masteller
PLAY GUIDE BY
Lexy Leuszler
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Amie Villiger
DETROIT ’67 PLOT SUMMARY
It’s the summer of 1967, and the irresistible music of Motown is breaking records and
breaking down barriers. Siblings Chelle and Lank make ends meet by running an
unofficial nightclub in their Detroit basement, a risky business as police crack down
on after-hours joints in black neighborhoods. When Lank offers shelter to an injured
white woman, tensions escalate both in their home and in their community—and they
find themselves caught in the middle of the ‘67 Detroit riots. Dominique Morisseau’s
deeply-felt drama explores an explosive moment in a great American city.
SETTING
316 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202-4218
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Les Waters
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Kevin E. Moore
July 1967 in Detroit, Michigan. Chelle and Lank’s house is located at the intersection of
12th Street and Clairmount Avenue. Though the characters and the house are fictional,
12th and Clairmount was at the epicenter of the actual riot that occurred in 1967.
CHARACTERS
CHELLE (MICHELLE) – Lank’s older sister. A widow and a mother, Chelle remains
steadfast in her determination to use money inherited from her parents’ deaths to
support her son’s college tuition.
LANK (LANGSTON) – Chelle’s younger brother. A dreamer and an optimist, Lank
sees the inheritance money as an investment potential to purchase and run his own
business. He dreams of a Utopian Detroit for Black Americans.
BUNNY (BONITA) – Chelle & Lank’s family friend. Determined to never let anything
get her down, Bunny is often the life of the party.
SLY (SYLVESTER) – Lank’s best friend. A sweet-talking hustler and numbers man,
Sly dreams of opening a business with Lank.
CAROLINE – A mysterious young white woman with a potentially dangerous and
secret past.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dominique Morisseau
DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU, Playwright/Actress, is alumni of
the Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project
Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop. Credits include: Skeleton
Crew (Sundance; Lark Barebones; Atlantic Theater Company
(Scott Rudin); Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of
Harlem/NBT); Sunset Baby (Gate Theater; LAByrinth Theatre);
Follow Me To Nellie’s (O’Neill; Premiere Stages). She has
produced other original works with the Hip Hop Theater Festival,
Penn State University, American Theatre of Harlem and The
New Group. Her 3-play cycle, entitled “The Detroit Projects”
include Detroit ’67, Paradise Blue, and Skeleton Crew. Paradise
Blue premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July
2015 starring Blair Underwood and directed by Ruben SantiagoHudson. Dominique is currently the Story Editor on the Showtime
series Shameless. Awards: Jane Chambers Playwriting Award,
two-time NAACP Image Award, Primus Prize commendation,
Stavis Playwriting Award, Spirit of Detroit Award, U of M
Emerging Leader Award, Weissberger Award, PoNY Fellowship,
Sky-Cooper New American Play Prize, The Graham F. Smith
Peace Foundation Award, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for
Drama, and the Obie Collaboration Award.
AN INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIQUE
Northlight Theatre Resident Dramaturg Dr. Kristin Leahey’s conversation with Detroit ‘67
playwright, Dominique Morisseau. Reprinted from Northlight Theatre’s Detroit ‘67 Study Guide
with kind permission from Northlight.
Kristin Leahey: What inspired you to write this play?
DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU: Aside from me and my entire
family being from Detroit, I really wanted to dive into
Detroit’s history and look at the important moments that
changed the landscape of our city. And 1967 was definitely
one of the more definitive moments. Growing up in Detroit,
there is no real intellectual study of our history. There’s not
a lot of talk about the “riots”—though many people would
tell me not to call them “riots,” they’d tell me to call them
“The Great Rebellion...”—So many people don’t grow up
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learning about The Rebellion. It’s not taught in schools.
It’s not being kept alive through conversation. So I went
out to learn about it on my own. Additionally, I think what
made me really want to start working on this project was
a desire to contribute a different narrative about Detroit
than what is out there right now. I don’t think the media
always depicts our city with fairness. The Detroit I grew
up in and understand was built on the backs of these small
communities made up of real people. And I wanted to tell
a story from that perspective. I wanted to bring the soul of
that into the national conversation about Detroit.
KL: It seems like music is a really big part of your life,
not to mention the play. Can you talk a bit about the
music in the piece?
DM: Music helps to give me a sense of the world within a
play. Whenever I write, I use music as the backdrop. Even if
I don’t write the songs I’ve been listening to into the play,
it still is a huge influence for me. It informs the world, gives
me a local color, a language for the period, the attitude and
the spirit of what I’m writing. Motown is definitely a nobrainer when it comes to Detroit in the ‘60s.
KL: Are there particular songs that were/are a part of
your life or your parents’ lives that made it into this
play?
DM: My instinct was to look for groups or singers that I
wasn’t already hip to. What people listened to on a record in
1967 is not necessarily the song that was the most popular.
So filling a play with music brings in another character and
lets characters relate to one another through the music.
I wanted these characters to listen to music that had a
particular message or point of view that spoke to where
they were or what they were going through, not just what
was the most popular. “My Baby Loves Me” transports me
to another world whenever I listen to it. It reminds me of
my mother. I don’t know if she used to play it for me all the
time or not. But my aunt heard me mention that song and
how it inspired me, and she said she used to play it for me
when I was growing up and dancing with her. Somewhere
subconsciously, that song lives in my mind and in my heart.
It’s like this song is family.
KL: Do you still have any family that lives in Detroit?
DM: Oh, all of my family lives in Detroit. All of them.
There’s very little empathy for the people who live in
Detroit, and there’s such a bleak hopelessness that’s
been assigned to their situation. That’s what bothers me
most. And the people who say those things really don’t
understand our city. And I think when we hear certain
things about ourselves over and over we start to believe in
them - even the best of us. That’s the power of writing. The
media really has the power to manipulate peoples’ beliefs.
So I too want to manipulate peoples’ beliefs and get people
to start believing in our city again. It’s the city’s music in
this story that unifies people of different backgrounds,
politics, and worldviews. And I think that when we are
presented with stories that can teach us about that kind of
heart, we can shrug off the city’s labels and begin to really
believe in the people that live there.
Detroit ’67 is part one of a three part play cycle focused on the city of Detroit. The second play, Paradise Blue, is set
in 1949 in a thriving black community referred to as “Paradise Valley” for jazz performers. The third play Skeleton
Crew is set in 2008 in the last standing automobile plant in Detroit due to economic recession.
Skeleton Crew, Atlantic Theatre Company
Paradise Blue, Williamstown Theatre Festival
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GLOSSARY
AFTER-HOURS JOINT: Also referred to as a “blind pig” or a “speakeasy,” these establishments were illicit clubs,
bars and gambling sites that were unlicensed and operated in homes or the backrooms of businesses. After-hours
joints were created as result of Prohibition during 1920–1933 and thrived in Detroit well after Prohibition was
repealed in 1933.
BLACK FIST: A symbol of Black Nationalism that is largely associated with the Black Panther Party and the Black
Power Movement, a radical strand of the Civil Rights Movement that reached its height in the 1960s and ‘70s.
JOE LOUIS: Also known as “The Brown Bomber,” Joseph Louis Barrow was an African-American heavyweight
boxer who reigned as the world heavyweight champ for 12 years from 1937–1949. Originally born in Alabama, Louis
and his family moved to Detroit in 1924 where he began his boxing training.
EIGHT-TRACK: A magnetic tape player developed in 1964 and popular until the late 1970’s when it was replaced
by the Compact Cassette. Each tape was able to play 8 songs, or up to 80 minutes of music.
45’S: A vinyl record that spun at 45 rotations per minute and contained one “single,” or song, on each side of the
record.
MOTOWN RECORDS: A record company founded in Detroit in 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown is a combination
of the words “motor” and “town” and was also a nickname for the city of Detroit. The popularity of the “Motown
Sound” –soul-influenced music with a pop beat– helped launch the careers of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles,
The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and many more. THE TEMPTATIONS: An all-male group of 5 vocalists from Detroit, Michigan; they were the first Motown group
to win a Grammy with their song “Cloud Nine” in 1969. Their signature song, written and recorded in 1964, is “My
Girl.” They are one of the most successful groups in musical history.
THE FOUR TOPS: Created in 1952, the Four Tops were a vocal quartet from Detroit whose members met at a high
school birthday party. They signed with Motown Records in 1964 and, with the help of the production team of
Holland-Dozier-Holland, released their two chart-topping hits “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be
There.”
SMOKEY ROBINSON: Founder and the lead singer of the popular Motown group “The Miracles,”
Robinson also served as the Vice President of Motown Records.
TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE: A private, historically black college, now known as Tuskegee University, founded in
1881 by Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1941, The U.S. Army Air Corps established a training
program for black military pilots on Moton Field at the Institute which yielded “The Tuskegee Airmen,” a famous
group of African-American pilots, during World War II.
THE BIG FOUR: In the 1950’s, the Detroit Police force created a tactical unit nicknamed “The Big Four” that
consisted of 3 plainclothes police officers riding in an unmarked police car with a uniformed officer. They
frequently patrolled African-American neighborhoods and gained a reputation for their brutality and physical
intimidation of black suspects and civilians.
PIGS: Slang term for police officers.
THE VIETNAM WAR: Referred to as “Nam” by Sly in Detroit ‘67, The Vietnam War lasted from 1955–1975
in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The war ended in the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam and the
reunification of North and South Vietnam under Communist rule. During the war, African-American soldiers
accounted for a quarter of soldiers killed in action, as they had a much higher likelihood of assignment to front-line
positions than other soldiers.
6
Motown “The Four Tops” Record
Jet Magazine, August 10, 1967
Eight-Track Player
The Temptations
Time Magazine Cover, May 1967
Black Fist
7
TIMELINE OF
THE DETROIT RACE RIOT AND
The infamous 1967 Detroit riot was not a random moment of violence; the riot was encompassed by the tumultuous
atmosphere of America in the 1950’s and 1960’s and the national tension around the emerging Civil Rights
Movement. The 1960’s were a decade of immense progress and immense setbacks for civil rights leaders and their
surrounding communities. African-American citizens were responding to years of societal discrimination in schools,
public housing, places of employment and violence against their basic liberties.
8
December 1, 1955
July 2, 1964
June 12, 1967
Rosa Parks is arrested
for refusing to give
up her seat on a
Montgomery, Alabama
bus.
Lyndon B. Johnson signs
The Civil Rights Act, which
outlaws segregation in
public places, schools and
places of employment.
Lyndon B. Johnson signs
The Civil Rights Act,
which outlaws segregation
in public places, schools
and places of employment.
May 17, 1954
August 28, 1963
February 21, 1965
June 12, 1967
Brown v. The Board of
Education of Topeka
Kansas rules that
segregation in schools is
unconstitutional.
Martin Luther King Jr.,
delivers his “I Have a
Dream” speech at the
Lincoln Memorial.
Malcom X is
assassinated.
Loving v. Virginia
rules that prohibiting
interracial marriage is
unconstitutional.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
The Civil Rights Movement in American history, refers to a national protest against racial segregation, discrimination
and oppressive practices against African-American citizens. The movement rose to prominence in the 1950’s and
60’s when national leaders and groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized rallies, lobbied for equal rights legislation and established
nonviolent civil disobedience practices during their protests. The name “civil rights” is a reference to the rights
granted to all American citizens by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
July 24, 1967
July 27, 1967
Governor Romney asks President
Lyndon Johnson to send U.S.
troops as rioting continues.
People are killed by guardsmen
while civilian snipers shoot at
firemen and cut fire hoses.
After five days of rioting, order is
restored with 43 people dead, over
7,000 arrested, 1,400 buildings
burned, 1,700 looted and $50
million dollars in damage. It was the
deadliest riot in 100 years in America.
July 23, 1967
July 25, 1967
April 4th, 1968
In Detroit, Michigan, at 3:35 a.m.,
police raid an after-hours joint at 12th
Street and Clairmount Avenue that
is hosting return party for AfricanAmerican Vietnam Veterans. By 6:30
a.m., upset onlookers and community
members began protesting the arrests
of party attendees by rioting, looting
and lighting fires on 12th Street.
Governor George Romney calls for
over 300 state policemen to assist law
enforcement. By the end of the first
day, more than 1,000 rioters had been
arrested and five people were dead.
Over 2,000 paratroopers
in armored vehicles arrive
in Detroit. By the end of
the day, 10 more people
are killed.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is
assassinated in Memphis,
Tennessee.
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WRITING PORTFOLIO
NARRATIVE: CCRA.W.3
Dominique Morrisseau mentions that she wrote Detroit
‘67 and her Detroit play cycle “to contribute a different
narrative about Detroit than what is out there right now,”
because she doesn’t believe the media accurately portrays
the real people and soul of her hometown city. Consider
how the city of Louisville is portrayed, or how your
neighborhood is portrayed, by local and national news
and media outlets. Do you agree with their perception of
Louisville? Are there people or parts of your city that aren’t
showcased to the nation? If you were to write a fictional
play or short story, what people or settings would you use
to highlight the soul and people of your city on a national
level? What do you want other people to know about
Louisville? Write a short scene that contains characters
and a location that you think reflects your Louisville. Is
there specific music playing in the background? Are the
characters discussing a local issue that pertains to their
neighborhood? Consider how your characters sound, dress
and move in your scene to reflect your city.
ARGUMENTATIVE: CCRA.W.1
The 1967 Detroit riot has a contested history. To the
African-American community members of Detroit, it was
the result of many years of discrimination in the realm of
urban housing, unfair employment practices and police
brutality. Some scholars refer to the riot as “The Great
Rebellion.” To outsiders of Detroit and the national media,
the events of July 23rd–27th of 1967 was a “riot” led by
senseless looters that cost the city millions of dollars and
robbed many citizens of their homes and businesses. Do
some further research into the cause of the 1967 Detroit
riot. After considering all of the events leading up to the
night of July 23rd and the national climate, do you think
the citizens of 12th and Clairmount had good reason to
fight back against the police? Do you side with the police
and government of Detroit in considering the riot an act
of senseless violence? Write an essay stating whether you
think it should be deemed a “riot” or a “rebellion” and offer
evidence and examples to support your decision.
INFORMATIVE: CCRA.W.2
Write a review of the performance of Detroit ‘67 that you
saw at Actors Theatre of Louisville. What parts of the
play (the actors’ performances, the set, props, costumes,
lighting and sound design, etc.) were your favorites and
why? How effective were these elements in telling the
story? Back up your claims with evidence and details from
your experience of watching the performance. Then, make
a copy and send it to the education department at
Actors Theatre of Louisville
c/o Jane B. Jones
316 West Main Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
We will share your thoughts with the creative team.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS
POST-SHOW QUESTIONS
1. Even though Detroit ’67 was written in 2013, it takes
place in a very specific time period 46 years earlier.
It is considered a “contemporary play” in American
Theatre, meaning that its themes are fresh and
relatable to its current audience. Based on your
knowledge of the play, what connections might the
playwright be trying to make between our current
American society and the America of 1967?
1. Do you agree with Lank’s decision to use the
inheritance money to start a bar and see the potential
of his future in Detroit? Or do you side with Chelle to
invest the money in the future of her son, Julius, and
his education at the Tuskegee Institute?
2. Listen to the greatest hits of Motown by artists
such as The Temptations or Marvin Gaye before
you arrive. Do their lyrics and music give you any
clues about the atmosphere of Detroit in 1967? What
do they tell you about the world and attitude of the
characters you are about to meet?
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2. Do you think that Lank should be romantically
involved with Caroline? Did you agree with Chelle
and think that Lank should have stayed away from
Caroline? Consider all of the historical factors
surrounding the characters at this moment. Loving v.
Virginia had only passed a month before the events of
the play and interracial relationships were only just
now accepted as legal.
BRIDGEWORK
AT YOUR DESK
AWAY FROM YOUR DESK
1. Dominique Morriseau uses specific music in Detriot
‘67 to not only capture popular music of the time
period, but also to highlight the language, color and
internal feelings of her characters. What 5–10 songs
would you choose to help a listener in 2066 understand
the mood and atmosphere of your world now?
1. At many points in this play, the past is clashing
directly with the future, from Chelle and Lank’s
arguments about traditional 45 vinyl records and
new eight-track tapes, to the conflict between Lank
and Chelle’s hopes for economic stability and equal
civil rights in the future of their city and the history
of police and racial discrimination in Detroit. Think
of other instances in the play where past ideals are
in opposition to future ideals. Split into groups of 4
and have students create a tableau (frozen image)
that embodies four moments: a) The past ideal as it
stands, b) the introduction of the new future ideal,
c) the moment of confrontation between the two
ideals, d) what they envision the outcome to be, is
it a compromise of both? Does the future win? Do
elements of the past remain?
2. Look at the lyrics to “Dancing in The Street” (by
Martha and the Vandellas), “People Get Ready” (by
The Impressions) and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” (by
The Four Tops). Besides being popular Motown hits,
why do you think the playwright chose these specific
songs for Detroit ‘67? Pick one of the songs and make a
list of all of the moments, characters, or settings in the
play that the song could be connected to, and provide
evidence as to why you are making that connection.
2. Throughout the play, Lank dreams of a better future
for his home city of Detroit. He dreams of a Detroit
free from racial oppression and segregation and a city
where he will run his own successful business with
Sly. Have the students break into small groups of 3–4
and discuss their own neighborhoods and community
with guided discussion questions such as: a) Are
there parts of your neighborhood that you would like
to improve? b) Think of your dream city. Are there
values that you would like your dream community to
represent? Write three values down. c) What would
your city be best known for? Write a slogan for your
dream city. d) What does your dream city look like?
After students have discussed their city, ask the
groups to lead other groups through a “tour” of their
dream city through the classroom. Have students
think of creative ways to present their city’s values,
and the slogan it upholds while pointing out the
landmarks or famous parts of their city.
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