The Capital Fringe Festival has begun and I went on opening day to see I AM THE GENTRY, a moving play written and performed by local artist Cara Gabriel. If you live in D.C., you should check it out.
Dear Cara,
I was an audience member at your opening night performance of I AM THE GENTRY in this year’s Capital Fringe Festival. You did a fabulous job performing your masterfully written script.
Community is at the heart of a lot of my work and I felt that theme strongly throughout your play. There are of course the obvious physical and economic changes that occur with gentrification, but the social changes, particularly related to the sense of community that we feel, or don’t feel, within our neighborhoods, are difficult to articulate and even more complicated to properly value.
I believe it was Ms. June in your play whose death you said would forever change the ethos of your old neighborhood. It is sad when the stalwart members of a community die or move away – they often take with them so much more than their families and belongings.
I wish you well with the play. It is thought-provoking and entertaining, but more than that, it’s an important story and I hope that you will continue to share it with many more audiences.
With admiration,
Reed Sandridge
I made an envelope liner out of the program.