NEWS

Expanding on its nationally recognized first season in 2022, Common Thread Theatre Collective will produce “How to Make an American Son.” This brand-new play explores what happens when the American Dream collides with the reality of immigration and family.

Honduran-born Mando built a successful cleaning business, and he has the means to pay for his son, Orlando’s, lavish high school lifestyle. Orlando is his teenage son – impetuous, restless, and smart. At 16 years old, he is openly gay and has the great fortune of having two parents who accept him fully. He is happily enjoying the fruits of his father’s labor but is embarrassed by his accent and his line of work. Mando is guilty of enabling Orlando’s entitlement, though it’s hard to fault him for sparing his son any semblance of hardship, about which he knows all too well.

But when Orlando finds himself responsible for the fate of a treasured worker and the future of his father’s business, the two must face tough truths about the business, citizenship, their family, and, most importantly, how to keep their dreams alive in a society that keeps them struggling to belong.

“Common Thread is honored to be producing the East Coast premiere of this exciting and challenging new play,” says producer Karli Henderson.

A note to patrons, this production is English, but as it tells the story of an immigrant family there is some Spanish dialogue interspersed.

Date and Times:
Friday, July 14 @7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 15 @7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 16 @2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 19 @7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 20 @7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 21 @7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 22 @7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 23 @2:00 p.m.

Location:
Barber Theatre on the campus of Davidson College
310 North Main Street
Davidson, North Carolina

Ticket Information:
Adult $28.00
Seniors: $23.00
Students $15.00

For more information and to purchase tickets visit their website.
or contact Karli Henderson at her email.

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Common Thread Theatre Collective’s second season is made possible by generous funding from Nancy and Philip Kukura; the Bacca Visiting Scholar and Artist Program; the Clark Ross Academic Innovation Fund; North Carolina A&T State University’s College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences; the Division of Student Affairs, Arts and Science Council of Charlotte; and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department and Natural & Cultural Resources.

ABOUT COMMON THREAD THEATRE COLLECTIVE:
Common Thread Theatre Collective is a joint venture between faculty members at Davidson College and faculty members from North Carolina A&T University. While these are two very different institutions, the common thread that binds the faculty and students together is a love of theatre. We want to tell stories that center marginalized communities in new, fresh ways. Creating this professional theatre on Davidson’s campus in partnership with NC A&T faculty allows us to work with students, faculty, and staff, as well as our local, professional theatre artists to create work that is intentional and impactful for our communities.