WE THE POOR

We tested the narrative “Together Everyone Thrives,” incorporating it into a workshop reading of WE THE POOR, a musical in development about economic crisis, ancestral healing, and revolutionary love. Libretto by Anu Yadav. Directed by Alison De La Cruz. Dramaturgy by Q. Terah Jackson. Co-produced by Great Leap, Inc. and BareStage Productions.

WE THE POOR is about Nandini, a South Asian woman who seeks to honor her late father’s legacy while facing a sudden housing crisis. Her journey from struggle to organizing with her fellow tenants transformed her community, her connection to a global movement for human rights, and herself.

We reached an audience of 25–30 people, ages 12 to 70. Many are artists, cultural workers, arts administrators, and nonprofit workers, and range in ethnicity and race: African American, Asian, Latine, and white.

The audience responded with questions, enthusiasm, ideas for further development, and their own experiences with wealth inequality and housing insecurity. We were reminded that people crave more spaces to gather, break bread, and connect, which helps break our isolation and envision a future where “Together Everyone Thrives.”

What we Learned:

• Audiences called the piece “extremely timely and critically important.” It brought up a lot of emotion and ended on a note of hope for change.
• The ending offered both power and responsibility by portraying the audience as ‘future ancestors’ of a society that has achieved all the things we are fighting for today.
• We heard curiosity about possibilities for new systems of change, not just reforming the old ones.