HALIM FLOWERS, TED HEARNE, KORDE ARRINGTON TUTTLE, ANDRÉ DE QUADROS & MOMOLU STEWART
ANDRÉ DE QUADROS
The Slaying of Innocence is a documentary music-theatre work that chronicles the true stories of two African American men, Halim Flowers and Momolu Stewart, who were delivered life sentences in prison at the ages of 15 and 16, respectively. Co-created by Halim Flowers, Momolu Stewart, André de Quadros, Ted Hearne & Khat Knotahaiku, the narrative incorporates Flowers’ and Stewart’s fights to overthrow their convictions, and their challenges returning to society decades later. Their stories are vividly told through Flowers’ prolific poetry and Stewart’s poignant rap.The Slaying of Innocence fuses storytelling, music, and visual art to create a compelling artistic testimony about America’s broken and racialized justice system.
The Slaying of Innocence crosses many cultural and aesthetic lines, impacting many different communities in its realization. The confluence of these artists from different mediums welcomes broad and inclusive audiences who respond to classical, contemporary, and popular music as well as theatre and spoken word/poetry slams.
A large-scale version featuring immersive visual projections will be available for tours to national performing arts centers. These presentations aim to build awareness of our failed justice system, how it disproportionately affects black youth, and how it has become the 21st century’s version of Jim Crow. A second, more intimate version will tour prisons and detention centers nationally.
