Congo Square Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of HOW BLOOD GO

Debuting at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, March 11 – April 23, 2023

CHICAGO – From Tuskegee to today, Congo Square Theatre Company proudly presents the World Premiere of How Blood Go by Cleveland-based playwright Lisa Langford, a provocative – and wholly topical – story of two family members who are subject to medical experiments without their consent, 50 years apart. Infused with Afrofuturism, How Blood Go debuts at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater (1700 N. Halsted Street) as part of its LookOut series March 11 - April 23, 2023 (Previews: March 11-15 at 7pm; Press opening: Thursday, March 16, at 7pm; No performance on April 16).

How Blood Go weaves the present and past together to explore the strained relationship between the healthcare system and African Americans in this country. Just when Quinntasia is ready to take her wellness program, Quinntessentials, to market, she learns that her healthy body is not the product of her hard work, but of a futuristic experimental device—activated without her consent—that makes her appear White to doctors and nurses. She must decide if she’s willing to give up her Blackness to make her dream come true. Meanwhile, Bean and his brother, Ace, experience unethical medical treatment in the American South (the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment 1930-1970).

Avitia (Master Electrician).

“While there are universal themes, this is a very personal story: my grandfather’s uncle was a patient in the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Though that was decades ago, Black lives are still placed at risk every day because of the medical establishment’s casual disregard for our health and our worth. I hope that audiences will take away that the past is right next to us, and we ignore its lessons at our own peril,” shared Langford.

Infused with Afrofuturism (a movement featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of Black history and culture), Langford’s fantastical work won Congo Square’s 2019 August Wilson New Play Initiative, designed to uplift, support, and give voice to the next generation of African American playwrights through produced staged readings and developmental workshops. How Blood Go was also part of the Global Black Voices at the Roundhouse Theatre in London in August 2019.

“This play is at the pulse of the national conversation about racial inequities in our healthcare systems and practices. We hope audiences are down to explore these issues with us through this potent and dynamic production,” added Ericka Ratcliff, Congo Square Theatre Artistic Director.

Tickets & Performance Schedule