Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad is set to open this month in San Francisco.
Magic Theatre is expected to host the new play directed by maverick artist Raelle Myrick and written by Ashely Smiley from February 28 – March 17, 2024.
More from the press release:
DIRTY WHITE TESLAS MAKE ME SAD is a new performance work written by Ashley Smiley about the regentrification of San Francisco and the displacement of Black folks from their neighborhoods. The story unfolds over the last few days in the life of Sloosh in her hometown of San Francisco. Hearts aren’t left in San Francisco they’re stolen, bipped straight from the ribcage. No one understands this more than Sloosh, an AfroFranciscan suffering from the realities of hyper gentrification in the City she was born and raised in and she has 72 hours to do… something before her life drives off packed into a U-HAUL. Centered in the Bayview Hunters Point area of San Francisco, the last place one can turn 360 degrees and see a Black citizen at every turn, Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad is a story about a San Francisco native desperately seeking God, herself and a way to stay.
A recipient of the Gerbode Foundation Theatre Commission Award and a recent honor of the Theatre Bay Area’s Reilly Lossy Award, “this play is especially exposing and exploring the Black born and bred beings of San Francisco, visioned by a Black artist and resident, born and bred in San Francisco.”
Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad
Magic Theatre, San Francisco
February 28 – March 2, 2024Written by ASHLEY SMILEY
Directed by RAELLE MYRICK HODGES
Grounding us in the story is the character nicknamed Sloosh, a 29-year-old queer AfroLatina born and raised in San Francisco. She still lives with her mother, and aside from feeling the millennial shame of that, she’s also unsure of where to go in her life. Dirty White Teslas become the ultimate symbolic insult to those not part of the wealthy scene- a symbol of success not even sufficiently cared for by their oblivious owners.
Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad kicks off Magic Theatre’s 2024 performance year and is followed by a first time Repertory of premieres from Naomi Iizuka, in the first production premiere with Residence Company- Play on Shakespeare. The Iizuka Repertory will feature a new play, Garuda’s Wing, followed in Repertory with a new version of Iizuka’s Richard II. Completing the year of premieres, the Magic Theatre will do a first time collaboration with and at the Presidio Theatre.
Magic Theatre was founded in 1967 by John Lion and continues to premiere bold and new plays as it has done for 55 years.
Tickets for Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad start from $30 and the show runs February 28 – March 2, 2024. Performances are scheduled Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m at the Magic Theatre Fort Mason location (2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor). Run time is 90 minutes.
Lead Graphic by Ahmad Walker