A Divine Homecoming & O'Sound

Imagine if New Haven had a historically black college. In 1831 New Haven had the opportunity to host the nation’s first Black college but due to opposition from the City’s elite, the college never came to fruition. A Divine Homecoming is an intergenerational production honoring HBCU history and legacy through storytelling and step creating an imagined experience of what could’ve been.

The story is told through a group of older Divine 9 members on their return to A&I University for Homecoming. As the friends congregate in their student union, they take a trip down memory lane to their golden days back in college in the ‘70s. In flashback scenes, the alumni will share their Divine 9 experiences through step performances (performed by a younger generation of Greeks). Stepping is a percussive, highly-energetic art form first developed through the song and dance rituals created by Black fraternities and sororities, with origins to West African culture. The show concludes with a performance by Toronto native, O’Sound.

Before the show, celebrate Juneteenth on the Upper Green!

CAST:
Joseph Caroll (Alpha Phi Alpha)
Sharon Jones (Alpha Kappa Alpha)
Sam Gray Jr (Kappa Alpha Psi)
Earl Bloodworth (Omega Psi Phi)
Babz Rawls-Ivy (Delta Sigma Theta)
Don McAulay (Phi Beta Sigma)
Karen Gatison (Zeta Phi Beta)
Erica Garcia-Young (Sigma Gamma Rho)
Dawin Magliore (Iota Phi Theta)