THE SHOW :
THE PECULIAR PATRIOT ™
"Slavery is a peculiar institution"
By: Liza Jessie Peterson
S Y N O P S I S
The Peculiar Patriot ™ Is A Satirical One Woman Theatrical Performance Which Examines How Love Navigates And Survives Through Barbed Wire. It Reminds Incarcerated Audiences That They Are Necessary And Not Forgotten By Showing The Toll Their Absence Takes On Those That Love Them. It Also Celebrates The Healing And Redemption That Occurs As A Result Of Self Reflection And Taking Responsibility For One’s Actions.
The Story Is Told By A Self Proclaimed Peculiar Patriot Named Betsy Laquanda Ross Who Makes Regular Visits To Various Penitentiaries Boosting The Morale Of Her Friends “On Lock”. The Peculiar Patriot Passionately Sews A Memory Quilt For The Urban “Street Soldiers And P.O.W’s” (Prisoners Of The War On Drugs) Who Are Serving Time. Each Square On The Quilt Is Adorned With A Yellow Come-Home-Soon Ribbon (Except For Lil’ Mike Who’s Still Hustling In Jail “Stuck On Stupid Shit” So No Yellow Ribbon For Him). With Over 2 Million People Behind Bars In The United States, The Peculiar Patriot Utilizes Prisons As The Social And Political Backdrop While Re-Defining Terrorism, War, Soldier And Patriotism In Her Funny But Poignant, Peculiar Way.
Betsy Is Both Victim And Victor Of This Country’s Prison System And Represents The Millions Of Men And Women Who Sojourn To Penitentiaries On A Regular Basis (Weekly, Monthly, Year After Year) Subjecting Themselves To Long Bus Rides And Humiliating Security Checks To Visit Loved Ones Incarcerated. As This Witty Love Story Unfolds The Peculiar Patriot Gives Voice To The Voiceless And Shines A Glaring Light On America’s Fasting Growing Epidemic/Industry While Enchanting Audiences With Provocative Thought, Hilarious Dialogue And Gripping Pathos.
