Destiny Theatre Experience will present “23/1,” a solo play written, directed, and performed by Nashville artist Shawn Whitsell, opening on Thursday night, March 19, with performances on Friday and Saturday nights, March 20 and 21, and March 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. each evening, with an afternoon matinee Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m., all at Nashville’s iconic Darkhorse Theater.
“23/1” tells the story of an imprisoned man struggling to maintain his sanity and humanity while enduring the harsh and inhumane conditions of solitary confinement. Through intimate storytelling, the play explores themes of isolation, redemption, and the psychological toll of prolonged isolation within the American prison system. The title is a reference to the 23 hours an incarcerated person can legally be kept isolated, versus the one of recreation time to which they are entitled.
“On any given day, there could be up to 81,000 people in solitary confinement in the U.S.,” says Whitsell. “I’m doing this for those people who don’t have the opportunity to tell their stories, and for those who never will.”
A playwright, actor, producer, and director, Whitsell is also the founder of Destiny Theatre Experience and a longtime community organizer, poet, and teaching artist who facilitates playwriting and spoken word workshops. His work centers on the belief that the arts can transform communities, raise awareness, and spark both social and personal change.
The Nashville Scene named “23/1” the “Best Blend of Theater and Activism” in 2019 for its examination of solitary confinement and mass incarceration. Whitsell adds, “This play is not for entertainment. It’s for audiences to bear witness.” In addition to his theatre work, Whitsell volunteers in prisons through the School for Alternative Learning and Transformation (SALT), supporting incarcerated individuals through arts and education.
The opening night performance on Thursday, March 19th will be a special donation-at-the-door event, with tickets not sold online. Tickets are $16 online and $20 at the door. Darkhorse Theater is located at 4610 Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville.
There are also special Community Impact Performances. 50% of ticket sales for the Saturday, March 21st performance will benefit Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH), a justice-centered coalition where Whitsell serves as a community organizer. 50% of ticket sales for the Sunday, March 22nd performance will benefit The Village Church, where Whitsell serves as an editor. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/shawn-whitsell-68928937523
Don’t miss “Overnight at the Museum” (starring Darius and DaMarcus) By Nia Akilah Robinson will be presented for one night only, Saturday, March 14th, at 7:30 PM. at Nashville PBS by the Nashville Repertory Theater, located at 161 Rains Avenue. In the play, two Black overnight museum security guards steal Ghanaian artifacts in a gentrified American neighborhood, before the grand opening of a “Neo-African Museum” and return the artifacts back to Ghana.
This production, previewed in the February 13 edition of the PRIDE, is part of Nashville Rep’s Ingram New Works Project, which empowers exceptional new voices to write the stories they are most passionate about. Since 2009, the Ingram New Works Project has supported the development of over 60 new plays. Get your free ticket(s) now at: https://nashvillerep.org/ingramnewworks
