“White privilege, for me, is not about economic privilege. Economic privilege plays into it, but it’s about the ability to live a life without being questioned at every turn.”

These are the words of acclaimed author and poet Claudia Rankine as she prepares for the upcoming world premiere of Help at The Shed. Go behind the scenes with Rankine, the cast, and director Taibi Magar as they get ready to unveil the new theatrical piece to the world.

Help, which begins performances March 10, is derived from from Rankine's ongoing investigation into white male privilege (part of which was shared in her 2019 essay “I Wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. So I Asked”). Described as “more or less a monologue,” the new work stars Fairview's Roslyn Ruff alongside an ensemble of male actors who embody the different white men described in Rankine's research.

Help is a commission from The Shed. The world premiere is set to run through April 5 and will feature movement choreography by Shamel Pitts, set design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by John Torres, sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman, and original music composition by Jerome Ellis. Casey Llewellyn is the dramaturg.

For more information visit TheShed.org.