Trinity’s Austin Arts Center Partners with HartBeat Ensemble to Present Where We Stand

Trinity College’s Austin Arts Center and the HartBeat Ensemble will present Where We Stand—a long-form poem with humor, heart, and music—from October 9 to 17, 2025, in the Goodwin Theater.

Written by Donetta Lavinia Grays, Where We Stand tells the story of a man standing before his town asking them for forgiveness after he has made a deal with a mysterious stranger on their behalf. More than a recounting of events, this piece both engages and implicates the audience in determining the man’s fate. Where We Stand asks what it means to practice compassion, forgiveness, and accountability in a democracy. The uniquely theatrical experience puts outcome is in the hands of the audience.

Presented as part of Greater Hartford Arts Council Theater Week, this production is directed by Vernice Miller and stars Laugh Sanchez.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 9-11, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday-Friday, Oct. 14-17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Goodwin Theater at Trinity College’s Austin Arts Center.

Tickets are free, but reservations are required. Reserve tickets here.

Encounters Series

Concluding the two-week run of Where We Stand, HartBeat Ensemble and the Austin Arts Center continue the exploration of forgiveness, empathy and accountability in capitalist democracies through the Encounters Series from UConn’s Dodd Human Rights Impact Program.

The Encounters Series is dedicated to fostering unexpected conversations around divisive issues and obscure knowledge. The program dives deeply into subjects that are of interest to the Greater Hartford community through facilitated, small-group dialogues followed by a question-and-answer style conversation with UConn faculty and community partners. HartBeat Ensemble is the only theatre company in Connecticut that regularly partners with Encounters for its productions.

Facilitated by UConn’s Democracy and Dialogue Initiative, the program will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 5:00 p.m. in the Goodwin Theater at Trinity College’s Austin Arts Center.

Participation is free, but reservations are required. Reserve tickets here.