Seven theatre organizations in the Albany area of New York will join forces for 8:46, a series of performances in response to the recent killings of Black people and decades of systemic racism.

Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY will present the stream June 30 on Facebook Live. The collective has invited six other groups—each with a track record of producing work by and with Black artists—to present a piece lasting eight minutes and 46 seconds—the amount of time George Floyd was restrained on the ground as a police officer knelt on his neck before he died.

Though the event is free, viewers are encouraged to donate to the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region by texting BTTUNY to 41444.

The event will include the following organizations and performances:

• BTTUNY will present Barbara Jordan’s The Nub of the Issue, starring Barbara Howard and Tony Pallone. Set in September 1987, the short play follows Black politician Barbara Jordan as she argues why Robert Bork is a poor choice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Acting With Aaron will present Aaron Moore’s The Eyez in the Wall, exploring the voices of murals of murdered Black people. Moore directs and stars alongside Majestic Tillman, Zoë Lewis, and Danielle Collins.
• Capital Repertory Theatre joins with Night Vision, a short play by Dominique Morisseau. Margo Hall directs Kevin Craig West and Susan Spain in the story about a couple who witness an attack on the street and discover they have differing individual accounts of what they saw together.
• Creative Action Unlimited presents Privilege, directed by Artistic Director Michael Kennedy. During the piece, artists will explore what is possible to accomplish in the allotted time, depending on their level of privilege.
• Illuminate Theatre will explore the ramifications of police violence on a child with 8 Ways to Say Goodbye, in which an eight-year-old (played by Moriah Edmunds) addresses the camera directly to grapple with the murder of her father.
• Troy Foundry Theatre presents A Memo on White Fragility, exploring systemic issues of complicity and neutrality. The original piece, curated by Katie Pedro and directed by David Girard, features the latter with Kelly Artis, Niya Colbert, Emily Curro, Ethan Botwick, Raya Malcolm, and Christian Steward.
• Park Playhouse Inc. will offer a selection from Lanie Robertson’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill performed by Gina-Simone Pemberton, accompanied by Brandon Jones.

The program will also air on public access channels in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy. A live talkback will also take place via Zoom after; the link will be posted on Facebook once the event begins.