“For 90 minutes, Peterson’s sharp wit, emotional depth, and poet’s precision pull us through laughter, heartbreak, and silence.”
-The Baltimore Times

“Peterson’s performance is superb… you forget that this is a play”
-DC Theatre Arts

“Ms. Peterson has developed an unforgettable character. The audience is able to hear and understand through the dialogue and projections the injustice of the prison system while, at the same time, laughing uproariously at Betsy’s antics and descriptions of everyday life.”
-MD Theatre Guide 

“A show that, while it doesn’t look away from its characters’ rage and sorrow, also is often funny and full of joy.”
-Baltimore Sun

Inspired by her decades-long work with prison populations, including on the notorious Rikers Island, Liza Jessie Peterson’s timely and urgent one-person show unpacks the human impact of mass incarceration in America. Fearlessly funny, smart and provocative, The Peculiar Patriot traces the migration of systemic injustice from the plantation to the prison yard.

Betsy LaQuanda Ross is a self-proclaimed “peculiar patriot,” who makes regular visits to penitentiaries to boost the morale of her incarcerated friends and family. Betsy is both victim and victor of this country’s prison system and her story turns statistics into achingly relatable stories, drawn from the experience of more than 2.5 million people behind bars. The Peculiar Patriot is “nothing less than extraordinary” (Broadway World).

The play was developed beginning in 2003 with performances in more than 35 penitentiaries across the U.S. and incubation at Hi-ARTS in 2016. Hi-ARTS and National Black Theatre joined forces to produce the acclaimed world premiere in September 2017, working with more than 10 grass-roots organizations in criminal justice to help empower and inform the community. As BCS expands its own work making theater with incarcerated youth, the theater is proud to bring this important work to Baltimore.

• Outstanding Solo Performance Nominee–Drama Desk Award

• Outstanding Set Design Nominee–Drama Desk Award

• Outstanding Solo Performance Nominee–Elliot Norton Award

Click here for the digital program

RUN TIME: 90 minutes with no intermission

Content Warning: This production includes Graphic Video of Police Brutality, Strong, and Racially Charged Language.

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What is a Preview?

Previews are an essential part of the theater-making process that allow directors and playwrights to see their plays with audiences for the first time and identify areas for adjustment. These special performances allow you to get a first look at the play and be a part of each shows’ creative journey before it opens officially.