The Ones, a.k.a. (Be)longing, a.k.a. Trigger
“Trigger is a powerful project that has become a catalyst for discourse, expression and action around the issue of gun violence and how it affects communities.”
— Kathryn Garcia, MDC Live Arts
“(Be)longing is a responsive performance that blurs the lines between audience and performer, providing space and opportunity for sharing and discovery.”
— Susan Bland, Virginia Tech
We Are the Ones (Vote) 2020 Video
Prompted by chants, quotes, and signs from high school students, college students, and adults in Parkland, New Haven, Newtown, and other March For Our Lives locations; Emma Gonzalez’ February 17, 2018 speech; and “Poem for South African Women,” by June Jordan.
The Ones—a.k.a (Be)longing, a.k.a. Trigger—is a music theater forum about coming of age in an age of guns. The project was prompted by the April 16th Tragedy at Virginia Tech, where a creative writing major shot 49 people, killing 32, then himself. Students, faculty, staff, and local leaders form the backbone of this performance where music, neuroscience, sociology, and theater intersect. A local cast performs the core hip-hop oratorio, alongside community-created projects that address gun violence with preventative actions.
Audio Demos (for educational use only)
Sheet Music Videos (for educational use only)
“What if young people could not die?
Or what if we couldn’t die from a gun?
Could we imagine a world so alive?”
are the lyrics that open this music theater forum.
“When a stone is smooth, nothing can get in.
Not one painful word penetrates my skin.”
are lyrics about staying strong despite being bullied as a child.
Virginia Tech Trailer
Video about the origin of (Be)longing, a community-driven choral and hip-hop theatre forum based on interviews of people affected by gun violence. Activate (Be)longing events include:
(Be) Your Story, led by Shannon M. Turner
Stories on the Edge of Night: Open Mic Storytelling at XYZ Gallery with workshops at the Blacksburg Public Library and YMCA Lancaster House
Stories of (Be)longing at the Lyric Theatre
The Space Between, by Francine Dulong, Dor Cosby Atkinson, Bob Leonard, Thomas Murray, and Erik Ehn, with support from the School of Performing Arts and Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention;
What a Stranger May Know, by Erik Ehn at the Henderson Lawn
Community Reflection on What a Stranger May Know at Theatre 101
Active Dialogues at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, Center for Peace and Violence Prevention, and Newman Community
MDC Live Arts Trailer
Miami Dade College’s MDC Live Arts explores issues surrounding gun violence with Trigger, a social action initiative with intensive outreach leading up to the performance. Activities include:
a silent march
unveiling of Trigger mural design
performances with Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy (iCED)
peace jam flash mob
moments of silence
power hour on gun legislation facilitated by Engage Miami with iCED
Bowling for Columbine Film Screening
The Gun Plays by the English, Communications and Theatre Departments
MDC School of Justice Community Panel Discussion on Gun Violence
SPARK chapbook at MDC's InterAmerican, North and Wolfson Campuses
New Haven Choir Video
Score (scroll inside frame)
Creative Team
Byron Au Yong, composer
Aaron Jafferis, librettist
Details
Duration: 2 hours
Act One: Before
Act Two: 45-minutes with the audience
Act Three: After
Characters and Instrumentation
With an auditioned cast chosen from the local community, the creative team guides participating musicians to collaborate on a performance specific to the host venue.
The oratorio is scored for piano, stones and voices (multi-generational choir with community performer soloists who sing and/or rap). Additional instrumentation can be arranged according to the talents of the cast.
Performances
Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech
Blacksburg VA, March 17 – 18, 2017
with Activate (Be)longing Events from March 15 – April 8, 2017
Music Director Nancy Harder
Community Engagement Manager Jon Catherwood-Ginn
Stage Manager Nataliya Vasilyeva
Performers Moe Abbas, Ashlinn Blevins, Cindy Blevins, Willie Caldwell, Meredith Dabney, Carol Davis, Jeddie Dawson, Brenna Dudley, Marcia Davitt, Sara Gehl, Kaye Gilliam, Rudi Goblen, Mike Hansler, Franklyn Harrison, Maria Jernigan, Jessie Jorgensen, Cassiane Mavromatis, Eddie McClain, Timothy Miles, Kassie Simmons, Patricia Soledad, Michael Trujillo, Hunter Wilson, and David Yoon
MDC Live Arts at Miami Dade College
Miami FL, April 21, 2017
with Trigger Community Events from April 4 – 21, 2017
Music Directors Oscar Bustillo and Kenneth Boos
Community Engagement Manager Jenni Person
Stage Manager Nataliya Vasilyeva
Performers Abigail Zuluaga, Alexander "Void" Ruiseco, Andres Berrios, Angelyn Sahland, Christian R. Bauman, Deolinda Deloire, Evelyn Ros, Frederick Mena, Joshua “Legacy” Placeres, Juliana Hernandez, Kyrenia Andrade, Marilyn Gore, Lovell Rose, Monique “Momo” Ruiz, Nate Johnson, Neckycha Edmond, Romina Levin, Steve Jean-Charles, and Vanessa Joya
Long Wharf Theatre
International Festival of Arts & Ideas
New Haven CT, June 17 – 18, 2017
with Activate (Be)longing Events from June 8 – 24, 2017
Music Director Stephanie Tubiolo
Community Engagement Manager Sarah Sherban
Stage Manager Joanne Pan
Performers Aaron "Coach Hawk" Hawkins, Aldebaran Ryan, Amelia Sherwood, Anne Rhodes, Anton Kot, Arianna Rivera, Brianna Alexis Chance, Brittany Palmer, Clifford Schloss, Connor Lloyd, Dwannah McKnight-Alegria, Hanifa Washington, Jaezmyne J. Pheanious-Browne, Jalah Woods, Katie Jones, Keelin Mathews, Kejuan Simmons, Keona-Marie Gomes, Malcolm Welfare, Michael Bethune Jr., Muza Gornostaeva, Nijuan Simmons, Paul Davies, Salwa Abdussabur, Sara Culver, Chaz "Sunny Chi" Carmon, Tahjee Galberth, Vera Blaas, and Wali Muhammad
Deeper Change Forum (excerpts)
Hamden CT, April 2018
Workshops
Act One, directed by Lisa Peterson
New Studio on Broadway and Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program
NYU, New York NY, November 2019
The Flea Theater
New York NY, 2016
Research, Teaching and Writing Residencies
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
San Francisco CA, 2017 – 2018
Virginia Tech Center for the Arts
Blacksburg VA, 2014 – 2017
International Festival of Arts & Ideas
New Haven CT, 2014 – 2017
Lucas Artists Residency
Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga CA, 2016 – 2017
Theatreworks Silicon Valley
Palo Alto CA, 2016
Westminster Choir College
Princeton NJ, 2016
Weston Playhouse
Weston VA, 2015
Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
MASS MoCA, North Adams MA, 2014
Production Photos
© Richard Mallory Allnutt
Contact
Thomas O. Kriegsmann, producer
ArKtype
+1 (917) 386-5468
tommy (at) arktype.org
Current Version in development
Lisa Peterson, director
Alex Ratner, music director
2017 Version
Charlotte Brathwaite, director
Ni'Ja Whitson, associate director/choreographer
Ben Zamora, production design
Justin A. Partier, associate designer/tech director
Beatboxer Rudi Goblen
History and Process
This work was developed over three years of interviews and workshops in Blacksburg, Virginia, and seven other communities around the United States affected by youth-involved shootings.
The show premiered with the title (Be)longing at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech as part of the 10-year memorial of the Virginia Tech Tragedy, then continued to MDC Live Arts in Miami with the original title Trigger, then the Long Wharf Theater as part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, with the title (Be)longing.
Since the 2018 Parkland Tragedy and resulting March for Our Lives organizing, the project is currently being developed with the title The Ones.
Press
Arvin Temkar. United We Stand. USF News, October 2019
Brian Slattery. Hip Hop Oratorio “(Be)longs” at Long Wharf. New Haven Independent, June 2017
Robbie Harris. 10 Years After Virginia Tech Shooting. NPR Weekend Edition, April 2017
Robbie Harris. New Theater Piece Explores Gun Violence. WVTF Public Radio, April 2017
Kim Hutchinson. Arts Performances Explore Gun Violence. I'm Not Your Boring Newspaper, April 2017
Connie Ogle. Hip Hop Musical Trigger. Miami Herald, April 2017
Frank Rizzo. Taking Aim at Violence at International Festival. Zip06, June 2017
Montana Telman. Aaron Jafferis on (Be)longing. Arts & Ideas Festival Blog, June 2017
Phillip Valys. Anti-gun-violence Musical Trigger Comes to Miami. SouthFlorida.com, April 2017
Amanda Plasencia. March to End Gun Violence at Miami-Dade College. NBC Miami, April 2017
Susan Bland. Premiere of Choral and Hip-Hop Theatre Forum (Be)longing. Virginia Tech Daily, March 2017
Learning Guide
Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech
Support
The Ones (a.k.a. (Be)longing or Trigger), is an ArKtype project, commissioned and co-produced by Moss Arts Center, Blacksburg, VA and the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven, CT.
(Be)longing is a commission of the Moss Arts Center and developed in partnership with International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Residency development provided by The Flea Theater, Millay Artist Colony, Montalvo Arts Center, Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, Theatreworks Silicon Valley, Westminster Choir College, and Weston Playhouse.
The Ones was developed as part of a workshop with New Studio on Broadway and Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU.
Trigger was developed, in part, at the 2014 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA.
Special thanks to all the community members, performers, presenters, and supporters from developmental workshop residencies and performances including but not limited to Liz Fisher, Chad Herzog, Missy Huber, Doug Harry and the amazing staff of Arts & Ideas, Kathryn Garcia, Jennifer Person, Eddy Davis and the MDC Live Arts team, Ruth Waalkes, Jon Catherwood-Ginn, Sara Bailey and the Moss Arts Center Team, Stephanie Bleyer, Laura Chen-Schultz, Ed Iskandar, Robbie Harris, Eric Hung, Will MacAdams, Erika Meitner, Ali Neff, Janice Paran, Karen Shimakawa, Jack Tchen, Eric Ting, Niegel Smith, Mary Lou Aleskie, Shanta Thake, David Dower, Emily Theys, Sara Juli and Surala Consulting, Holly and John Lesko, Naphtali Fields, Scott Bailey, Bob Leonard, Jim Hawdon, Andy Morikawa, Tricia Smith, Debbie Day, Ellie Sturgis, Chris Flynn, Miles Le, Alan Davis; Joe, Mona, and Randa Samaha; Tom Brown, Nikki Giovanni, Jake Grohs, Conversation NRV, Community Voices, Maj. Gene Deisinger, Leighton Vila, Expressions, Students for Non-Violence, Erika Meitner, Ali Neff, Shannon M. Turner, Patty Raun, Chief Anthony Wilson, Melissa Ripepi, Francine Dulong, Tracy Vosburgh, Susanna Rinehart, Larry Hincker, Kwame Harrison, Jenie Nguyen, Craig Arthur, Caroline Davis, David Salmo, Nancy Alexander, Jason Hiruo, Liz Hammond, Rafael Ramos, Kristin Kelly, Thomas Murray, Cathy Edwards, Quita Sullivan, Craig Peterson, Baba Israel, and David Kim
Follow activity at future sites across the United States, learn about local and national initiatives, action steps, and more at triggerbelonging.org