By Ericka Alston BuckSpecial to the AFRO
Baltimore Middle Stage is taking audiences from the consolation of their seats straight into a jail visiting room. “The Peculiar Patriot,” introduced by Emmy-winning storyteller Lena Waithe and written and produced by Liza Jessie Peterson, isn’t only a play; it’s a strong and unfiltered take a look at the realities of mass incarceration in America.
Waithe mentioned she was drawn to the challenge due to Peterson herself. “Liza is the rationale,” she defined. “Her pure coronary heart and fervour for the subject material is inspiring. Mass incarceration is worthwhile, and lots of people don’t know that. She’s getting the message out so all of us can concentrate on the jail industrial complicated. She just isn’t solely right here to entertain however to coach.” That framing was felt all through the play.
For 90 minutes, Peterson embodies Betsy LaQuanda Ross, a girl who spends her weekends visiting family and friends behind bars. By Betsy’s sharp humor and uncooked putting honesty, Peterson brings to life the routines that too many households know effectively—the lengthy bus rides, the safety checks, and the quick, valuable visits that by no means really feel lengthy sufficient.
In a metropolis like Baltimore, the place so many households have felt the affect of incarceration, the story lands with deep familiarity. It may be felt within the theater, the nods, the laughter, the stillness when Peterson’s phrases hit residence.
“I work daily with returning residents,” mentioned Denise Harper. “This play mirrored what I see, the love and the ache of households combating to maintain hope alive.”
Waithe mentioned that was precisely the purpose of bringing the manufacturing to Baltimore. “I hope it causes them to look at what they give thought to prisons and people behind bars,” she mentioned, “and the folks that need to journey hours and hours to go to them.” Her feedback echoed what was occurring within the viewers – folks recognizing themselves, their moms, cousins and companions in Betsy’s story.
Peterson’s energy as a performer lies in her skill to steadiness humor and heartbreak. Her Betsy was humorous, grounded and painfully actual, bringing moments of laughter to heavy truths with out ever softening their weight. When audiences meet her incarcerated pal Jo Jo, they’re totally invested, ready for his or her subsequent go to. What started as one lady’s story turned a portrait of affection and loyalty within the face of a system that breaks households aside.
The set, designed to resemble a correctional facility’s visiting room, provides to the realism and emotional weight. Director Talvin Wilks used silence as skillfully as sound, permitting Peterson’s phrases to breathe. The lighting and projections pull the viewers deeper into Betsy’s world, illuminating each the humor and the damage. “It felt like Liza was telling my story,” mentioned Angela Thomas, whose son is serving a 10-year sentence. “I laughed, cried and felt seen.”
Throughout the post-show talkback, the viewers had the chance to satisfy Liza Jessie Peterson and listen to firsthand the inspiration behind her work. She spoke about her private experiences visiting mates in jail and her years educating incarcerated adolescents on Rikers Island, tales that gave depth and authenticity to Betsy’s voice and the folks we met on the stage. Artist Derrick Admas, who led the dialogue, added considerate perspective on how “The Peculiar Patriot” connects artwork and advocacy and forces audiences to face uncomfortable truths concerning the jail system.
For Waithe, that rigidity – artwork that strikes you and artwork that makes you look within the mirror – isn’t unintended. “Each piece of artwork is totally different. The aim all the time must be authenticity,” she mentioned. “If it simply entertains that’s effective. If it causes somebody to lean into their very own objective that’s effective too. Artists have lots to hold. Holding America accountable must be everybody’s job. Not simply the job of those who create for a residing.”
That lens made Peterson’s efficiency really feel much less like a monologue and extra like a sworn statement.
“I didn’t count on to be as affected as I used to be,” mentioned Marcus Greene. “It actually made me take into consideration folks I’ve recognized who’ve been locked up, and what that have does to households.”
“The Peculiar Patriot” is greater than theater, it’s testimony. Peterson doesn’t simply carry out; she bears witness. And along with her fearless storytelling, paired with Lena Waithe’s intentional presentation, Baltimore Middle Stage is delivering a manufacturing that calls for consideration and refuses to let audiences look away.
“The Peculiar Patriot” runs by way of Nov. 9, 2025, at Baltimore Middle Stage.
