Next up at the 5th and D Street Theater…

Redwood Curtain Theatre presents

Special Performances:

• Thursday performances are "pay what you can" - September 17 and October 8 at 8p

• On Friday, September 25 only, there will be a "talk back" session with the audience after the performance. Anyone who wishes to stay is welcome.

Redwood Curtain Statement Regarding The Minutes

The Minutes is a deliberately challenging play that examines white supremacy, historical erasure, and the stories communities tell to protect themselves from uncomfortable truths. Its racist language and stereotypes are not presented approvingly; they are part of the play’s critique of racism and the concealment of violence against Indigenous people.

In approaching this production, Redwood Curtain Theatre sought perspectives from community members and organizations with relevant experience and insight. Those conversations were meaningful and helped inform our process. We recognize that there is no single community-wide perspective on how difficult language and painful history should be presented onstage.

Consultation does not mean that any individual or organization speaks for an entire community, nor does it transfer responsibility for the production to those who offered their perspectives. The final artistic decision belongs to RCT, and we accept responsibility for it.

Tracy Letts’ play is already doing its job: it is creating discussion. We believe that meaningful theatre can challenge audiences, raise difficult questions, and create space for conversations that might otherwise remain unspoken. That does not mean every audience member will agree with the play’s language or approach, and we respect the concerns that have been raised.

We understand that reasonable people may disagree about whether harmful language should be spoken onstage, even when it is presented critically. Our intention is not to endorse racist language or claim authority to speak for Indigenous people. It is to invite audiences to examine how racism, violence, and historical erasure continue when communities refuse to acknowledge them.

We remain committed to thoughtful dialogue, responsible presentation, and treating those who engage with this production with respect.

Tracy Letts’ The Minutes is a dark comedy set entirely during a small-town city council meeting, where newcomer Mr. Peel asks relentlessly about the missing minutes from a previous session and the sudden absence of a fellow council member. The play, initially a sharp satire of petty local politics and bureaucracy, builds to a sinister, shocking revelation about the town's historical foundation. This play is a powerful modern allegory for how communities choose to remember or deliberately conceal uncomfortable truths about their past, particularly regarding their treatment of marginalized people. Ultimately, the play explores the lengths people will go to preserve their comforting, curated narratives of history and maintain power.

"Astonishing... a pitch black comedy about the current state of American politics."
~ Chicago Sun Times

"The Minutes is also quite funny, silly even... But the questions Letts poses –
what are you willing to do, what are you willing to ignore, what are you willing
to forget to preserve your ‘cocoon of comfort’? – are provocative. And perennial."
~ Daily Herald

Content Advisory: The Minutes examines white supremacy, racism, historical erasure, and violence against Indigenous people, including a depiction of massacre. The play contains racist stereotypes and uncensored racial language, including a slur rooted in both anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. It also includes references to sexual harassment. These elements are presented as part of the play’s critique of racism and the deliberate concealment of historical violence.

This production also uses flashing and strobe lighting, as well as sudden blackouts.

Production Note: Neither the playwright nor Redwood Curtain Theatre represents or speaks on behalf of the Lakota people.