It’s 1940 in the fictional city of Antebellum. As the African-American community prepares for the return of hometown hero Band Man, scheduled to play at the local juke, the white community organizes its annual Pilgrimage Pageant; a celebration of Southern hierarchy as it was “before the war.” Fast-forward 75 years and post-Great Migration urban residents in the metropolis of Sittay gather to critique the policies and politics behind contemporary headlines. When disaster strikes in both spaces and places, all involved are forced to examine the meaning of community, agency and identity in the blink of an eye. As history repeats itself, The Burnin’ straddles time between these two worlds, examining the possibility that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Burnin’ is a NeoSpiritual inspired by two major U.S. nightclub tragedies: the Rhythm Club fire of Natchez, Mississippi (1940), and the E2 nightclub stampede of Chicago, Illinois (2003). Through fictionalized locales, The Burnin’ charts sociopolitical consistencies before, during, and after both disasters. Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. Baker Theatre Talkback to follow. Public: $15 Campus: $8 progresstheatre.com/theburnin Co-Presented by: The Muhlenberg Department of Theatre & Dance, The Gruber Lectureship in the Arts, Art in the Fields Lectures and Forums, The Associate Dean for Diversity Initiatives