Regina Taylor performs “Exhibit” at Atlanta Black Theatre Festival

In a world where history is constantly being revised and celebrated, some voices fight fiercely against erasure. Golden Globe-winning actress, director, and playwright Regina Taylor brings this urgent struggle to the stage with her powerful one-woman show, Exhibit. Set to premiere at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival, the performance is more than just theater; it is a profound meditation on legacy, the power of memory, and the ongoing fight for recognition.

The centerpiece of the work follows Iris, an African-American visual artist in her sixties who grapples with the terrifying reality that her life’s creative work is on the verge of vanishing. Her internal conflict mirrors a larger societal tension: what happens when the works of marginalized artists are discarded, banned from museums, or erased from databases?

“Her work is being thrown out of the museums and galleries,” Taylor reflects. “Her books are being banned. Her name is being erased from the databases. And she’s confronted with the fear of erasure.” This deep anxiety forces Iris to look inward and outward, prompting a critical examination of contemporary America: where are we moving, and what direction should we take?

Taylor explores the resilience inherent in the African-American experience—the ability to adapt, carry forward memory, and light fires. The narrative pivots on Iris’s search for context, confronting the idea that a legacy must survive without the context of those who remember it.

The drama unfolds as Iris is approached by a young curator who seeks to save her artistic legacy, proposing that her symbolic black-on-black paintings would fit perfectly alongside works by masters like Picasso and Monet. But Iris balks at this proposition, questioning how a name can endure if its history is left uncontextualized.

Taylor crafted Exhibit to be an experience that moves beyond the stage. Drawing inspiration from Spalding Gray’s work, the show incorporates dynamic elements of technology and video, allowing Iris’s journey through time and memory to feel immediate and immersive. The performance is designed not just for observation, but for active participation.

The show invites the audience directly into the narrative. Each person in the theater is invited to become a scene partner as Iris discovers new ways to tell her story. This interactive approach transforms the experience, making the audience the vessels of memory that carry the stories onward after the lights dim.

Furthermore, Taylor encourages collaboration beyond the performance. She opens opportunities for artists to contribute their own work—spoken word, music, or visual arts—which will be shared both during and after the show. Talkbacks are regularly scheduled with community leaders and educators, ensuring the conversation about addressing current times continues long after the curtain falls.

Exhibit is a powerful invitation to communities to come together and share their histories. It reminds us that theater has the unique capacity to forge connections, transforming an audience into a collective force dedicated to remembering, adapting, and ensuring that no legacy is ever truly erased.