Collaborative Arts Research Initiative

Hattie Mae’s Jook Joint Development Project Hattie Mae’s Jook Joint is an original musical that investigates the role of jook joints as hubs of cultural and communal engagement for the Black community from three different decades in US history (the 1930s, 1960s, and 2010s). It provides a lens into Black life and history while illuminating common human experiences through Black social dances, music, and culture. Because Black Americans have created these types of communal spaces – locations for fellowship and unburdening, solace and celebration through music and dance – since their arrival in North America as forced laborers, Hattie Mae celebrates jook joints as an exemplar of Black Americans’ capacity to create, connect and continue – in good times, hard times, and all the times in between. Dramaturgical support for the production will be provided by Dr. Erin Stoneking in Race and Gender Studies and Dr. Misha Hadar in Theatre and Dance. Funding from the Creative Arts Research Initiative (CARI) will be used to purchase rehearsal space and supplies and provide a service fee for the director and stage manager of the production.