A Night With You emerged from the whimsical drive that takes over when sitting in one of Second Site’s Core Artists meetings. For those who have not had the opportunity to sit in on one of our meetings, I'm talking about that feeling when you're bouncing ideas off people, and you throw something out there that sounds too outlandish to bring to fruition, but still exciting enough to muse on. You are riding a wave of creativity, feeling like anything is possible, and you blurt out, “What if we did something at the DuSable?” The difference in a Second Site meeting that may set it apart from others, is that everyone is then completely supportive in making it happen; cue dread.

Months later, we created a writer-centered site-specific theatrical event presented by The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in partnership with Second Site. Attendees went on a curated tour of the museum while actors performed new, short plays created by five Black writers set inside the exhibits. These unique pieces presented thought-provoking and relatable stories that question what we bring to a museum and what we leave with. The experience allowed patrons to take in the historic institution in a new way, and removed them from the typical theatre space that can often feel non-inclusive. Co-producing alongside Jenni Lamb was a dream. With direction by Elana Elyce and hosted by DuSable’s Director of Curatorial Services and Community Partnerships, Danny Dunson, the night was exceptionally rewarding. What we gained along the way proved to be even more valuable.

I had gone to the museum as a child, and though I remember the experience, its significance to Chicago had not registered until A Night With You. The museum represents what history has afforded us today, but it also engages in conversation with the present; it's a negotiation of what is to come. My lack of knowledge in that negotiation held me in grief, but I soon realized that I was not alone in that unpreparedness and that even the museum itself had something to learn from our collaboration.

When I started telling people about the project, I realized how little people knew about the museum—starting with how to pronounce "DuSable." Many of these same people had not known Jean Baptiste Point du Sable’s significance to Chicago nor had the opportunity to visit the museum named in his honor. Was this a lack of interest or the effect of our education system failing to encourage Black exploration and stories? I lean towards the latter, but what became decidedly clear was that A Night With You was not just about doing something site-specific. This production was about community and creating a safe space for that exploration with the creative team, DuSable, and our eventual audience.

“Everyone was excited to move towards a production, but first, we needed to make sure the breadth of our community was represented and able to experience our work.”

Second Site’s approach to creating that space became a gift. Our collective thrives on collaboration. That collaborative spirit led to a workshop where the writers came together to find inspiration from the building and its richly displayed history. Everyone was excited to move towards a production, but first, we needed to make sure the breadth of our community was represented and able to experience our work. We immediately dove into the lack of queer evidence in the space, and even how our bodies were being monitored to an uncomfortable degree while working. An artist’s work, if not already informed by their identity, is certainly perceived through that identity’s lens when given the opportunity.

Combining our anti-leadership artistic style with a well-established institution meant learning how to navigate and fit into the hierarchy that comes with that juncture and partnership. As a collective, we learned how to have difficult conversations, how to call in rather than call out. Confronting the intersection of education and accessibility led to uncomfortable, heart-breakingly relatable and rewarding works, and I hope the humanity behind these plays continues those conversations.

Nathaniel Andrew is a Black actor and writer originally from Markham, IL and currently based in New York.

Collaborating with History

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