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SEASON 33 | August 2021

How to Heal, When the World is Killing You Harshly

By Oktavea LaToi
Directed by Simone Raquel Alexander
Presented by The VORTEX

A solo work-in-progress that tracks Oktavea LaToi’s personal journey towards communal healing, self love, and healthy relationships in a world that is killing us with racial violence, fetishism, climate crisis, rage, and a global pandemic. A fusion of art, poetry, music, and movement, this new work explores the interlocking oppressions of Black women, while illuminating their lineage. Oktavea LaToi brings on the Revolution, inviting us to bask in beauty and acknowledge our sacredness.

Oktavea LaToi’s artistic residency at The VORTEX culminates in 4 nights of performance. Please join in the development of this new work by sharing in this work-in-progress and providing feedback. We look forward to a full production of this piece in 2022.

creative team

Directed by Simone Raquel Alexander. Choreography by Michael Love. Lighting Design and Stage Management by Jeannette Mwaki. Sound Design by Johann Mahler. Production Manager, Teresa Cruz. Production Assistants Amy Miller and Miller Mauldin. Live Streaming Team: Melissa Vogt, Will Josowitz, and Olyvia Mathews. Producing Artistic Director, Bonnie Cullum.

ABOUT Oktavea LaToi: Oktavea is a writer and performer based in Central Texas. She holds a dual degree in Theatre and Dance with a concentration in Performance, and African and African Diaspora Studies with a focus in critical race, gender, and sexuality studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Fresh off of the starring role in Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven (The VORTEX), other recent credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Austin Shakespeare), The Odyssey (VORTEX) good friday (New Manifest Theatre Company) SEVEN (Trinity Street Players), black girl love (GenEnCo/VORTEX), WHITE (Permanent Record Productions), Performance Park (The VORTEX), and TWENTYEIGHT (Gale Theatre). 

How to Heal, When the World is Killing You Harshly is funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

All ticket sales are final. However, we can exchange your tickets for a different night or a different performance, for a $3 fee, depending on availability. We do not sell your private data.