Performances of ‘Little Peasants’ will take place at The Burren on Wednesday, February 7, and Wednesday, February 21

Food Tank announces two special workshop performances of Little Peasants, a bold and timely new play written by Bernard Pollack and directed by Dori A. Robinson. The production will be performed at The Burren (247 Elm St, Somerville) on Wednesday, February 7, and Wednesday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m.

Little Peasants takes you on an immersive theatrical journey behind the closed doors of a food workers’ union organizing campaign. The show is immersive, putting audience members in baristas’ shoes to demonstrate the tactics employers are using to thwart organizing efforts. A one-act iteration of Little Peasants was previously featured at SXSW in March of 2023 and received critical acclaim and multiple standing ovations.

“This is a rare opportunity to experience a heated food workers’ union campaign from the inside,” says director Dori A. Robinson. “An immersive experience, the audience is invited to see the struggles from both sides of the table – the struggling workers, and the thoughtful organization.”

“The play humanizes the key players on both sides who worry for both the personal everyday lives of the workers, but also the larger ripple effect of their actions. In a situation where neither side is completely right or wrong and both have much to lose, the audience is faced with the question: how would you vote?”

The workshop is presented by Food Tank, a globally renowned research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to building a more sustainable food system. Their previous theatrical production, We Came To Dance, delved into the intersection of food, exoplanets, and the climate crisis, and enjoyed a one-month sold-out run at the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. It received praise from The New York Times and several other media outlets, had excerpts performed live on Good Morning Britain, and was featured at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).

“To truly transform our food systems, we need the power of the arts. Little Peasants is a unique opportunity for all of us to understand the momentum food workers are creating for just and fair treatment,” says Food Tank President and co-founder Danielle Nierenberg. “Food Tank is excited to collaborate with dramaturg and producer Elena Morris, director Dori A Robinson, and the all-Boston based cast to combine culture and food!”

The cast of Little Peasants includes:

Christa Brown as Monique Demoro, president of North America, Unicorn Coffee.

Rob Cope as Craig Becker, anti-union attorney employed by Unicorn Coffee.

Ciera-Sadé Wade as Ashley, a young barista.

Lorraine Victoria Kanyike as Molly, a young barista.

Jake Mouchawar as Michael, a young barista.

Autumn Blazon-Brown as Ella Lax, a young barista.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Bernard Pollack (Playwright) is the Chairman and co-founder of the non-profit Food Tank. A one-act version of _Little Peasants _was recently performed on the mainstage of South by Southwest 2023’s Interactive Festival in partnership with the University of Texas-Austin MFA Directing program. His first play, We Came To Dance – a family-friendly immersive musical, about the climate crisis, had a sold-out four-week run at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. The show was featured by the BBC, the New York Times, live on Good Morning Britain, and rave reviews from The Stage, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Reporter, The List, Edinburgh Guide, Musical Theatre Review, and more. We Came To Dance was also commissioned and performed at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference. Bernard is based in Cambridge, MA.

Dori A. Robinson (Director) is thrilled to work with Food Tank and to bring this play to life. A director, playwright, dramaturg and educator, Dori recently served as the Assistant Director at the Huntington Theatre on The Band’s Visit and Prayer for the French Republic. Directing credits include Silent Sky, The Elm Tree, Fully Committed, A Bright Room Called Day, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Lion in Winter, Winter of Discontent, Peter and the Starcatcher, A Bintel Brief, and The Chelmites Capture the Moon. She has worked with such companies as The Barnstormers, Fresh Ink, New Victory, Steppenwolf, Timeline, JArts Collaborative, and Greater Boston Stage. Dori’s original plays have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Boston, and she is a proud company member of Alight Theater Guild. An avid teaching artist, she regularly shares her love of Shakespeare, new play development, political theatre, and gender in performance. Dori is a lecturer at Northeastern University. Education: New York University. dorirobinson.com.

Elena Morris (Dramaturgy and Production) is a dramaturg, playwright, and performer passionate about building new plays and just futures. She is proud to welcome everyone to Little Peasants having collaborated on the development of the piece into a full-length play starting in March 2023. Elena currently works in the Development department at The Huntington Theatre Company. She previously served as a staff Dramaturg at Company One Theatre, Artistic Associate at New Repertory Theatre, and an administrator at ArtsBoston, where she wrote articles on artists and promoted local arts events on The ArtsBoston Calendar. Elena earned a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University in 2018. elena-morris.com.

Danielle Nierenberg (Food Tank co-founder) is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Danielle Nierenberg co-founded Food Tank (foodtank.com [5]) with Bernard Pollack, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organization, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Danielle has an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. Danielle is the recipient of the 2020 Julia Child Award.

TICKETS

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. No refunds or exchanges.

Purchase online at 24hourconcerts.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1248

ABOUT FOOD TANK

Food Tank is one of the fastest-growing nonprofit organizations around food and agriculture issues, focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Their work spotlights environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, and creates networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change. Food Tank highlights hope and success in agriculture. FoodTank.com.