April 29th at 5:30PM…
A collaboration between DCT and
DC’s Imagination Stage

Virtual Show and Talkback
Written by: Miriam Gonzales
Directed by: LeeAnét Noble
Produced by: Imagination Stage
Total running time: 90 minutes

This commissioned film screening is the result of real conversations between young people of color and police officers.

The show:
Based in Washington, DC, Imagination Stage’s 10 SECONDS explores a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold. Ray and Jimi are Washington, DC high school students who navigate their young adult worlds and what it means to be young Black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day — and “ten seconds” inside that day — that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter. Through audience engagement and interactive moments, the film provides opportunities for reflection and discussion.

Background: 10 SECONDS started in 2007 with a collaboration between the Washington, DC Police Foundation, a youth-serving non-profit organization aligned with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Imagination Stage, a professional theater for youth based in Bethesda. The partnership brought together students ages 10-18 and law enforcement officers to participate in theater-based activities designed to find common ground–including practicing leadership skills, conflict resolution, and violence prevention– between the two groups and to empower the young people to develop leadership skills. The young participants, who are recruited by the MPD, are more than 96% African-American. Playwright Miriam Gonzales observed and collaborated with the youth and police officers to write the dynamic script.

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The talkback: