The testimony of 25 Katrina survivors fueled a triumphant play about the terror and bravery of the largest disaster in U.S. history.
The audience travels with a grandmother, her daughter and grandchild through the rising water, stench and inhumanity to a final helicopter escape to safety. We hear from those who risked their own lives to save others again and again from rooftop perches. Testimony arises from the crowded Superdome and the bridge at Metairie, where a white sheriff fired shots to keep black neighbors from passing to safety.
Accompanied by The Hot Eight Brass Band, Stardust tells the astonishing tale of racism and neglect that was Hurricane Katrina.
STARDUST AND
EMPTY WAGONS
Woven through the play is the rich musical and cultural history emanating from New Orleans’ Congo Square drawn by musicologist CeCe Campbell Rock. Audiences, filled each night with Katrina survivors, responding with standing ovations, tears, and a nightly “second line” to the lobby.