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The production, written by a Ball State duo, is part of IndyFringe's OnyxFest, which spotlights black playwrights.

"Black Lives Matter (Too)" is one of the plays on the 2017 slate for IndyFringe's OnyxFest.(Photo: Photo provided/Dena Toler)

When Angela Jackson-Brown and Ashya Thomas wrote their play "Black Lives Matter (Too)," they set some goals.

They wanted to infuse thework which comprises scenes, poetry and music with human connections. They wanted to plant hope that triumphs in even the most difficult situations.

And when the play premieres this weekend, they want to use black people's stories from slavery through the present to unpack a term that has seen controversy. The work will be part of IndyFringe's OnyxFest, which spotlights work by black playwrights.

"A lot of these vignettes are going to be difficult to sit through, and that's intentional," Jackson-Brown said.

"We want to take people to uncomfortable places because so often we don't really talk about race in a constructive way. So we thought through the theater, oftentimes, people can be reached in ways that they can't through politicians or through lectures."

IndyFringe Executive DirectorPauline Moffat makes a habit of waiting until the festival itself to see the plays, but she is familiar with the strengths ofJackson-Brown. Her work has been part of IndyFringeandDivaFest, which highlights women playwrights.

Jackson-Brown "has such an incredible understanding of life and death, and ... the way she treats death is incredibly moving," Moffat said.

For "Black Lives Matter (Too)," Jackson-Brown, who is an assistant professor in the English department at Ball State University, teamed up with Thomas, who just graduated from the school. The two began collaborating on the play after Thomas turned in a particularly strong project, Jackson-Brown said. The OnyxFest work is Thomas' first play.

The darkened theater offers anonthreatening space to understand what Black Lives Matter means, Jackson-Brown said.The "(Too)" at the end of the play's titleclarifies the unspoken understanding that black people aren't saying they're the only ones who matter, she said.

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"It's simply a matter of, we've made too many strides to go backward," Jackson-Brown said. "So let's all remember what we came through during the '50s and the '60s, and let's not try to do things that are going to move us back to that place."

While race and relationships between black men and womenare part of the characters' journeys, Jackson-Brown said they sought an emphasis on self-love and a balance of storiesthat allowed characters to show their strength.

"We're not just exposing issues related to white and black, but we're also looking at issues related to black folks in general, problems that exist within our own community," Jackson-Brown said.

Meet the playwrights: Q&A from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday.

"The Quilting": Mijiza Holiday.8 p.m. Saturday,7 p.m. Sunday and4:30 p.m. May 20at IndyFringe Indy Eleven Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St.

Black Lives Matter (Too): Angela Jackson-Brown and Ashya Thomas. Produced by Jackson Brown Entertainment. 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and9 p.m. May 19at IndyFringe Basile Theatre, 719 E. St. Clair St.

Truth The One Man Show: Ryan Bennett. 7 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. May 19 and9 p.m. May 20at IndyFringe IndyEleven Theatre.

Cost:$15 at the door, $18 online (including fees), $13 students and seniors.

Call IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at (317) 444-7339. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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