Art2Action Inc., in collaboration with USF, presents Progress Theatre s The Burnin  (by Cristal Chanelle Truscott). The Burnin  is a NeoSpiritual inspired by two major U.S. nightclub tragedies: the 

Rhythm Night Club Fire of Natchez, MI (1940) and the E2 Club Stampede of Chicago, IL (2003). Following a group of clubgoers through catastrophe to assess complex intersections of race, gender 

and community during times of trauma and survival, the piece not only questions a multitude of stereotypes, it actively answers and dis-assembles them. Weaving dialogue and original song, The 

Burnin  traces how African Americans receive and redefine legacies of Black identity to accommodate their contemporary realities. Re-imagining these American tragedies, The Burnin  

invites us to look deeper into personal and communal definitions of freedom, empowerment and the course of "progress" we all have the power to chart. The performance will be immediately followed by 

a post-show dialogue with the artists.