What if your conscience dictated that you had to confront all the decisions in your life that were harmful and mistakes and attempt to correct them? Would you have the courage to do so? Would they be too painful to confront? Might you simply forgive yourself and move on with life? Just ask Terrence Riggins his thoughts and the actions he masters to find his difficult answers in his one man show “Unbecoming Tragedy A Ritual Journey Towards Destiny" in its world premiere production courtesy of Long Wharf Theatre, in cooperation with Collective Consciousness Theatre. Come confront your own wrong turns in life at the Yale Rep’s Off Broadway Theatre, 41 Broadway in New Haven, until Sunday, June 1.
This is clearly Terrence Riggins’ story and he writes every painful and exhilarating step. He owns each confession and reflection. He is in solitary confinement, in prison, and he is bravely confronting his life choices, hoping to forgive himself and create a new life. With paper and pen, he confesses his sins and works to understand how he got to this point in life, especially his relationship with his mother, a woman who gave him the gift of theater. Terrence knows that the stage is his salvation, with idols like William Shakespeare and August Wilson who have the power to save him.
Terrence is an actor and he knows that being a thespian is the key to his survival. He must wrestle with the theft of a necklace he gave his mother and find a way to forgive himself for stealing it from her on her deathbed. By transforming his cell into a stage, can he summon the resilience he needs and the courage to cleanse his soul into redemption. By examining his childhood and his time in a correctional facility, his failed attempt at marriage and fatherhood, can he turn back the clock and start anew? Can he summon the theater gods to help him get strong and grab his dreams? He knows he was born to be an actor but will the world welcome him to the stage? Director Cheyenne Barboza sensitively guides him to discovering a personal cleansing of his soul and the courage to achieve goodness in the kingdom of life.
For tickets ($45 and up), contact Long Wharf Theatre online at https://www.longwharf.org/events/unbecoming-tragedy-2. Performances are Wednesday st 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and June 1 at 7 p.m.
In honor of Long Wharf’s 60th Anniversary, plan to attend New Haven Museum’s exhibition on the theatre’s history from May 21 to February 2026 as well as workshops, parties. play readings and other special events to mark this tremendous achievement.
Let Terrence Riggins reveal his troubled soul as he seeks empathy and forgiveness and a restored journey of theatre for a way to banish his homelessness, addictions, crimes and burdens. Come root for him to succeed.
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