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Overview

Synopsis

In a strip of Detroit known as Paradise Valley, a man named Blue struggles to keep his father’s business, Paradise Club, afloat during a push towards gentrification. The city wants to kick African-Americans in the community of Black Bottom out by buying up properties up and down the strip. Blue, who is haunted by the memory of his father, teeters on the edge of madness as he decides whether selling the club is selling his soul. Along with the city, another man in Blue’s band, P-Sam, and a mysterious sexy stranger named Silver, begin to fight for ownership over the club, sending Blue and his woman Pumpkin into more confusion. Can Blue’s friend and confidante, Corn, keep Blue from falling into insanity, or will he be caught in Silver’s web? Can Pumpkin stand up for herself and tell Blue what she really feels, or will she concede to his demands? The people who occupy Paradise Club begin to turn on each other and change as the city of Detroit changes around them. Dominique Morisseau illuminates the effects of gentrification and the erasure of Black History on the African-American community with the first play in The Detroit Project, leaving us hungry for more. She continues her exploration with her next plays Detroit ‘67 and Skeleton Crew.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Mature Audiences (M)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2015
Genres
Drama
Time & Place
Detroit, Michigan, in a small black community known as Black Bottom on the downtown strip known as Paradise Valley. Paradise Club, 1949.
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Samuel French
Ideal For
College/University, Diverse Cast, Mature Audiences, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Small Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Pumpkin

Lead

Female

Blue

Lead

Male

Corn

Lead

Male

P-Sam

Lead

Male

Silver

Lead

Female

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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