BLACK CHEROKEE

Kamali Minter's performance here is consistently stellar. Identifying both as Black and Native American, Ophelia Blue Rivers grows up learning how her mixed heritage uniquely informs her life experience. When pollution in her local river makes life unlivable, Ophelia is sent to live with her aunt. This new life includes a fraught relationship with the son of a politically powerful white family. Meanwhile, Ophelia's family wages a legal battle against the corporations responsible for deliberately destroying their environment. Minter is skilled at providing voices for the multigenerational characters. Listeners are given a compelling narrative about the nature of these engaging, often complicated, ultimately compelling stories. A richly detailed performance of a young woman with dual identities finding her voice. [Published: JANUARY 2026]