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History Repeats Itself In ‘Leaving Eden’

Actors Carlos Alcala, Sarita Ocón, Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Samuel Ray Gates, and Alex Givens pose by a brick wall in a promo picture for the play 'Leaving Eden'
HuthPhoto
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Courtesy Playmakers Repertory Company
Carlos Alcala and Sarita Ocón star as Javier and Maria, while Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Samuel Ray Gates, and Alex Givens star as Eve, Adam, and Seth in the new Playmakers production 'Leaving Eden.'"

What does it feel like to be excluded? Minority communities in North Carolina have experienced economic and political exclusion at various points throughout history, and the new Playmakers Repertory Company production “Leaving Eden” brings that familiar story to light.

The play focuses on the fictional town of Marah, North Carolina at two points in history: 1933 and 2016. In 1933, African-American families are facing hostility from the community they call home. And in the modern scenes in 2016, Latinx community members, many of whom are undocumented and work at the nearby pork processing plant, are facing potential mass eviction from their homes. Host

Frank Stasio speaks with “Leaving Eden” writer Mike Wiley and lyricist and music producer Laurelyn Dossett. They are joined by actors Sarita Ocón and Carlos Alcala who play the roles of Maria and Javier Morales in the production. "Leaving Eden" opens Saturday, April 7 and runs through Sunday, April 22 at the Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill.

Laura Pellicer is a digital reporter with WUNC’s small but intrepid digital news team.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.