Fort Worth Opera proudly presented the regional premiere of “dwb (driving while black),” featuring members from the TCU community.
Fort Worth Opera proudly presented the regional premiere of “dwb (driving while black),” a contemporary one-act opera exploring the profound complexities of Black motherhood at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU on Feb. 16-17.
Assistant Professor of Theatre Ayvaunn Penn.
Assistant Professor of Theatre Ayvaunn Penn directed the production, featuring Marsha Thompson as the Mother. The opera explores the Mother’s hopes and fears for her son over 16 years as he grows up and learns to drive. Haunted by visions of what could go wrong with this simple rite of passage, the Mother grapples with societal issues of racism and inequality.
A collaboration between composer Susan Kander and librettist Roberta Gumbel, “dwb (driving while black)” originated from Gumbel’s personal experience and evolved into an operatic narrative.
“It was a joy and an honor to work with Fort Worth Opera – the creative team and production team – to bring the work of Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel to life,” said Penn. “‘dwb (driving while black)’ is such an important and timely opera that reminds audiences of not just the fears that Black mothers face when sending their Black sons into the world but of the very real realities of racial bias and discrimination in which those fears are rooted. I am also grateful to the TCU School of Music for their support and contribution of resources for this important work.”
Following each performance, the audience was invited to engage in talkback discussions with key members of the creative team. Moderated by TCU faculty members Dr. Brandon Manning, Dr. Stacie McCormick and Senior Learning & Development Consultant Ebony Rose, these sessions provide valuable insights into the production’s themes and artistic process. Additionally, Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, and Adrian Andrews, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety, contributed a unique perspective on public safety and the need for Black community engagement.
Adrian Andrews, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Safety, Student Affairs, TCU.
“At first, I was somewhat apprehensive about the invitation to join the panel to discuss the incredibly timely and significantly gut-wrenching situations depicted in ‘dwb (driving while black),'” said Andrews. “After thinking about how an African American lifetime law enforcement officer might contribute, I decided to answer the audience’s questions with the intention of educating the public on the possible mindset of the officers involved and how the officers were trained to respond to every conceivable scenario others experienced while making a ‘vehicle traffic stop.’ I wanted to make the public aware that more and more police departments across the country, and here at TCU, no longer conduct ‘vehicle traffic stops.’ I wanted to share that the most important decision to be made to avoid these tragedies is to make every attempt to only recruit, hire, train, and supervise the very best officers available.”