As the Great Recession of 2008 begins to decimate industries across America, the once-gleaming “Motor City” has lost its luster. At one of its still-standing auto factories, four colleagues-turned-friends hear rumors that their plant is facing foreclosure. Faye, Dez, Shanita and Reggie all have different stakes in the company should it go under, which they grapple with in the break room as the fear of losing their jobs looms. In the final chapter of her acclaimed Detroit trilogy, Dominique Morisseau wrestles with questions of grief, loyalty and self-preservation while exploring the monumental impact of the Recession-era economy on middle-class life.
Three things to know
Skeleton Crew premiered on Broadway in 2022 and received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play.
Playwright Dominique Morisseau was born and raised in Detroit and received the Spirit of Detroit Award for her writing about the city. Skeleton Crew is the third play in her acclaimed Detroit trilogy, which includes her plays Paradise Blue and Detroit '67.
Director Austene Van is an acclaimed Twin Cities theater professional, Artistic Director of New Dawn Theatre and Producing Artistic Director at Yellow Tree Theatre. Most recently at the Guthrie, she directed our 2022 production of A Raisin in the Sun.
Themes
Playwright Dominique Morisseau wrote this play (and others) out of a desire to depict her hometown with love, truth and pride. Think about your hometown. What do you wish that others knew and understood about it?
In the play, the characters that work at this auto factory are facing uncertainty about the future. How do you experience uncertainty? In what ways have you navigated those experiences?
Contains mature language and themes. Children are recommended to be 14 years of age or older.
Many performance venues offer accessibility accommodations such as wheelchair seating, assistive listening, sensory ear plugs, ASL interpretation, open captioning, or audio description, among other options. These accommodations are specific to each event, and may not be available everywhere. When registering with us, please let us know what accommodations you need and we will follow up with you!
Transportation
If you do not have access to a ride, call Project Success and we can provide transportation for you. Please let us know if you need a ride when you make your reservation. We will need at least 2 days’ notice to set up transportation.
Childcare
Childcare is available for this performance. Please let us know if you need childcare when you make your reservation.
Many performance venues offer accessibility accommodations such as wheelchair seating, assistive listening, sensory ear plugs, ASL interpretation, open captioning, or audio description, among other options. These accommodations are specific to each event, and may not be available everywhere. When registering with us, please let us know what accommodations you need and we will follow up with you!
Transportation
If you do not have access to a ride, call Project Success and we can provide transportation for you. Please let us know if you need a ride when you make your reservation. We will need at least 2 days’ notice to set up transportation.
Childcare
Childcare is available for this performance. Please let us know if you need childcare when you make your reservation.
As the Great Recession of 2008 begins to decimate industries across America, the once-gleaming “Motor City” has lost its luster. At one of its still-standing auto factories, four colleagues-turned-friends hear rumors that their plant is facing foreclosure. Faye, Dez, Shanita and Reggie all have different stakes in the company should it go under, which they grapple with in the break room as the fear of losing their jobs looms. In the final chapter of her acclaimed Detroit trilogy, Dominique Morisseau wrestles with questions of grief, loyalty and self-preservation while exploring the monumental impact of the Recession-era economy on middle-class life.
Three things to know
Skeleton Crew premiered on Broadway in 2022 and received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play.
Playwright Dominique Morisseau was born and raised in Detroit and received the Spirit of Detroit Award for her writing about the city. Skeleton Crew is the third play in her acclaimed Detroit trilogy, which includes her plays Paradise Blue and Detroit '67.
Director Austene Van is an acclaimed Twin Cities theater professional, Artistic Director of New Dawn Theatre and Producing Artistic Director at Yellow Tree Theatre. Most recently at the Guthrie, she directed our 2022 production of A Raisin in the Sun.
Themes
Playwright Dominique Morisseau wrote this play (and others) out of a desire to depict her hometown with love, truth and pride. Think about your hometown. What do you wish that others knew and understood about it?
In the play, the characters that work at this auto factory are facing uncertainty about the future. How do you experience uncertainty? In what ways have you navigated those experiences?
Contains mature language and themes. Children are recommended to be 14 years of age or older.
