ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour. The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

ArtsEmerson and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity present "Mr. Joy: The Neighborhood Tour." The series of free theater performances takes place in four Boston neighborhoods. Daniel Beaty’s "Mr. Joy" explores issues of race and class in America to help us find our common humanity. Tickets to all performances on the tour are free. But, due to limited space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

PLAY SYNOPSIS

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is shaken when Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant whose shoe repair shop has been a neighborhood pillar for decades, is the victim of an attack. Through the lens of Mr. Joy's customers, from the bubbly eleven-year-old Clarissa (who captured everyone's heart in Daniel Beaty's "Emergency") to the sincere and savvy “gangsta granny” Bessie, we learn the profound yet unassuming impact the shop owner has had on each of their lives. Playwright and ArtsEmerson Artist-in-Residence Daniel Beaty ("Breath & Imagination," "Emergency") returns with another moving reflection on transforming pain into power, this time through the virtuosic performance by acclaimed actress Adobuere Ebiama. A poignant, funny and stirring solo piece, "Mr. Joy" invites us to consider how we respond to violence as individuals and as a community, and the power of the invisible ties that bind us all.

HISTORY OF MR. JOY

"Mr. Joy" was originally produced by ArtsEmerson in the Emerson/Paramount Center in October of 2015. The play’s themes of "transforming pain into power" – a signature concept of playwright Daniel Beaty – strongly resonated with Boston audiences both through sold-out performances and provocative post-show conversations. The experience of the play became a catalyst to begin important discussions on race, class, and community. ArtsEmerson felt an urgency to continue them by touring the production throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.

Boston Centers for Youth & Families offers a number of programs for children and teens. This includes gym activities, swim lessons, and movie nights.

Check out the schedule

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Traces of Wind and Water is a two-channel, site-specific, outdoor, video installation on existing architecture at The Strand Theatre in Dorchester, MA, created by Boston Boston AIR (Artist-in-Residence) artist Georgie Friedman. The installation will be on display on the side of the theater from October 13 - November 14, nightly, from dusk to 11 p.m.

This video installation is made up of three sections: one section visually replants large trees on the site, their swaying tops visible from the street below; another transforms the Strand into an architectural/natural waterfall with a constant flow; and in the third, wild grasses spring up and dance in the wind.  Learn more about the project.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and is made possible through the Boston Artists in Residence Program of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Department of Neighborhood Development and the Parks and Recreation Department. 

Additional support was generously provided by luminArtz of Boston, MA.

Outside, on the upper, brick, south-facing wall
543 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125
Best seen near 531 Columbia Rd & Hancock St, Dorchester, MA 02125 
Google street view

Saturday, October 22, 6 - 7:30 pm 
Sunday, November 6, 5 - 6:30 pm
531 Columbia Rd | Open to the public

Monday, November 14 | Strand Theatre | Open to the public