The Guthrie Theater’s latest production, “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years,” isn’t just a witty Southern comedy — it’s a vibrant tribute to the complexity of Black identity, womanhood and legacy. Set in Montgomery, Alabama in 1964, Pearl Cleage’s play invites audiences into a world where debutantes prepare for society’s most elite cotillion, and a family’s carefully preserved reputation collides with secrets, class tensions, and the politics of protest.
For Assistant Director Vanessa Brooke Agnes, the production is both personal and historic. “It’s not every day that Black women get to see themselves reflected in our best light,” Agnes said. “This story centers us — not in pain, but in joy, beauty and community.”
The production marks the second time the Guthrie has staged a play by Cleage, a celebrated playwright known for her layered portrayals of Black Southern life, womanhood and resistance. Agnes said Cleage’s intentionality is embedded in every scene.
“She wrote this to showcase Black women — to celebrate us, to uplift us,” Agnes said. “The men are there, but this is our story. Our voices. Our traditions. Our legacy.”
The story follows the Dunbars, a wealthy Black family preparing their granddaughter Gracie for the Nacirema Society’s centennial ball. But amid the pearls and protocol, scandal brews — including a blackmail plot, long-buried secrets, and a determined young woman ready to ditch the debutante dress for protest gear. While the comedic pacing keeps things light, the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement lends weight to the narrative.
“Set in 1964, Montgomery is more than a location — it’s a reminder,” Agnes said. “There are references to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to Dr. King, to the larger struggle happening just outside these characters’ front doors. One of the younger women in the story attends protests. She wears overalls — the uniform of resistance. It’s all there.”
The play also contrasts two types of Black families: the Dunbars, steeped in status and tradition, and the Campbell-Jacksons, a working-class family rooted more explicitly in the social movements of the time.
“That duality — wealth and working-class, tradition and transformation — reflects the diversity of our community,” Agnes said. “We’re not a monolith, and that’s what makes this story so powerful. It’s a mirror.”
In a significant departure from past productions, “The Nacirema Society” features a predominantly local cast of mostly Black women — a rarity on major regional stages.
“The cast is all Black, with one Black man and the rest Black women,” said Agnes. “That in itself is a celebration. Being in rehearsal with so many talented, brilliant and kind Black women has been a gift. I’m soaking up every moment.”
Agnes noted that the Guthrie’s costume and prop teams went to great lengths to honor the setting with detail and accuracy. “Everything is intentional — the costumes, the set, the books and photo albums. The Guthrie’s shops hand-make everything, and there are so many Easter eggs from 1964. It feels like stepping into a time capsule.”
Though the play touches on themes of protest and social unrest, Agnes said it’s ultimately a joyful story — one that expands beyond what audiences expect from Black narratives.
“Yes, we talk about class. Yes, we reference the civil rights era. But at the heart of it, this play is funny. It’s a farce. There are secrets and missing letters and comedic chaos,” she said. “It shows that Black life isn’t just a struggle. It’s family, it’s tradition, it’s love. It’s complex.”
Agnes brings her full self to the production. As a Minnesota-born theater artist, she’s spent more than a decade directing and recently founded her own company, Dark Muse Performing Arts, in 2020. The organization was born out of the George Floyd uprisings and centers Black and queer healing through the arts.
“I’m a freelance artist, writer and director,” she said. “ I’m currently directing “Romeo and Juliet” at The Loft Stage and “Sanctuary City “at Theatre in the Round. But “The Nacirema Society” — this is special.”
When asked what she hopes audiences will take away, her answer is simple but resonant: “I want them to feel joy. I want them to see us in our fullness. And I want them to know that our stories — in all their forms — deserve to be seen.”
“The Nacirema Society” shows at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis April 19 through May 25. For tickets and more information, visit www.guthrietheater.org.
Kiara Williams welcomes reader responses to kwilliams@spokesman-recorder.com.