This work-in-process showing of The Missing Fruit will be presented during artistic director Roderick George’s residency at The Pocantico Center. The Missing Fruit explores the impacts of racial violence and racism in public health through an interdisciplinary production rooted in dance and set to an original score by the musical duo Slowdanger.
First conceptualized during the most recent Black Lives Matter protests, The Missing Fruit examines the experiences of Black and indigenous people and people of color, particularly addressing their struggles to combat oppression, death, financial insecurity, and health vulnerabilities while making space for Black joy to thrive.
The creation’s title takes inspiration from Billie Holiday’s 1939 song ‘Strange Fruit,’ which stirred controversy by shining a harsh light on the unrelenting racial and social injustices that took place during the height of the Jim Crow era.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black body swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…
- ‘Strange Fruit’, Billie Holiday (1939)
The rise of social media has given America a bird's eye view of the lynching of Black bodies that continues to this day. The Missing Fruit symbolizes the historic impact of pressure while centering joy and pleasure through Black social dance, vocals, narration, and scenic design.
This event is presented in partnership with the RBF's Culpeper Arts & Culture program and YoungArts.
Join us for a post-show talkback with the cast and creative team of The Missing Fruit, followed by a reception with special access to the DR Center gallery, currently showing Inspired Encounters: Women Artists and the Legacies of Modern Art.
The snow date for this event is Friday, March 31.
Tickets to all Pocantico events must be obtained in advance. Visit our website and follow us on Instagram for public programming updates, join our mailing list, and to be notified when tickets are available.