Progress Theatre

Inspired by the historic 1940 Rhythm Club fire in Natchez, MS, and a tragic 2003 event where patrons of a hip hop, neo-soul club were killed, The Burnin', written by Cristal Chanelle Truscott, is a multi-media, a capella musical that straddles time between two clubs to offer an imaginative exploration of the night of the fires and the ensuing media coverage. Trapped inside, patrons' club personas melt away, changing their destinations, intertwining their lives, and exposing their struggles and desires for life once survival becomes hypothetical. It traces how young African Americans received and redefine legacies of Black identity and freedom to accommodate their contemporary realities.