The community theater group Theatre in the X will be back in Malcolm X. Park (52nd and Pine) over the next three Sundays to reimagine The Wiz. 

Theatre in the X’s staging of the African American classic will be an homage to Hip Hop and Black cinema of the 1980s and 90s.

“Our iconic characters will journey through Oz remixed with all the nuance and cultural swag of the Black experience in America,” according to their Facebook post for the event. 

Cheyenne Barboza, who wrote Running Numbers (last year’s production), will direct.

Performances will run Aug. 12, 19 and 26 beginning at 5 p.m. in the park’s gazebo. They are BYOC – bring your own chair.

Theatre in the X is asking that in lieu of purchasing tickets (performances are free) folks donate to their fundraising site here.

The video below provides more info on Theatre in the X’s super-important fundraising efforts that allows the group to bring free, professional theater to the neighborhood.