DETROIT '67 BY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU

Detroit ‘67 tells the story of conflicting siblings against a backdrop of the race riots that shook Detroit, Michigan, in the summer of 1967. Chelle (Shronda Major) and Lank (Jeremy Jefferson) are brother and sister who share their recently inherited childhood home. They work together, scraping enough money to make ends meet. To supplement their small inheritance, they have converted their basement into a small private club.

Although the siblings are close, Lank, a dreamer, has secret plans for the money raised by their little nightclub: he and a friend want to buy a real bar together. Lank knows that his more conventional sister will object–she has a son at college who needs her financial support. Bunny (Schelle Purcell) is Chelle’s loyal confidante, a mover-and-shaker with enough sway to populate any party Their banter alone is sheer side-splitting humor.

After Lank and his buddy Sly find a badly beaten white woman on their way home one night, their situation becomes further complicated. Chelle reluctantly agrees to let Caroline (the mystery lady played by Rebecca Yeager) stay if she pulls her weight by working in the basement—a decision she comes to quickly regret when she notices the chemistry between Caroline and her brother.

At the helm of the production is the Houston-based director Charnele Brown. Charnele is best known for her portrayal of Kim Reese, the pre-med student on the hit NBC sitcom A DIFFERENT WORLD. She was also one of the first Americans in The hit Broadway musical SARAFINA, which was nominated for a Tony Award. Charneles film credits includes SPIKE LEES DROP SQUAD, THE KANGEROO, AND TENDRILS, which won 9 indie awards. She has appeared on numerous hit sitcoms including; GIRLFRIENDS, MY WIFE AND KIDS, LIVING SINGLE, OLIVER BEENE, and MARTIN.