Tyisha Miller, 19-years-old, was sitting in her aunt’s car unconscious whilst her family members had gone to get help, when she was shot 24 times by the police who were supposed to be there to help her but instead ended up shooting at her with 12 shots making contact with her body.
And that’s the true story part and the ignition for Rickerby Hinds’ DREAMSCAPE.
Rickerby Hinds has written and directed a hip hop, poetry in motion, dancescape narrative rooted in Tyisha Miller’s story and uprooted again by introducing us to the fictional character, Myeisha Mills.
Tyisha Miller’s tragedy took place just after Christmas 1998 and Hinds parallels Myeisha in exactly this space and time. He makes great effort to keep us in the 90’s by his choice of music and for example naming the big movies and their stars; Denzel (Washington) verses Wesley (Snipes), to place his audience in a specific space and time.
In creating Myeisha Hinds is able to bring Tyisha into the present day and thus appeal to a younger audience. Considering the topic, I am grateful that we are not subjected to violent scenes and brutal language. In fact the piece flows and weaves and is broken down into the chapters of each gun wound, but poetically. Each shot highlights a special time or memory of her life up to that point. It allows us the space to smile, to reminisce with her and to almost enjoy that chapter until we are brutally reminded by the next shot that we are getting closer to her tragic end.
Jada Evelyn Ramsey and Josiah Alpher deliver quietly strong, sensitive, poised, balletic and beautifully held performances and there is a great duet from them both.
Go and see Dreamscape for yourself. Be ready to be sad but to laugh, to be outraged and consoled, to feel nostalgic but with guilt – all at once.
NEED TO KNOW:
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February 10-22 cast will be Jada Evelyn Ramsey and Josiah Alphor
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February 24-28th cast will be Natali Micciche and John ‘Faahz’ Merchant.
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Dreamscape runs until 28 Feb at Omnibus Theatre. See listing.
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