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Review: ‘Detroit 67’ at eta Creative Arts Foundation

suntimes.com · 9h · first reportShare

When the lights come up on the set of Dominique Morisseau’s “Detroit 67,” now playing at eta Creative Arts Foundation, the first sound the audience hears is The Temptations 1966 hit “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” The song works on two levels: It inspired Morisseau’s Tony-nominated jukebox musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” which propelled the Detroit native into national recognition as a playwright. The song also foreshadows the events of this historical family drama, which unfolds in the basement of two Detroit siblings in the summer of 1967 — the turntable, which is playing the song on a 45, skips and the song fades away, signaling the need for change. Or perhaps, an upgrade. This production is the first of a new partnership that has landed Pulse Theatre Company as the first company in residence at eta, which was founded on the South Side in 1969. It launches a season artistic director Aaron Reese Boseman says focuses on mental health in Black homes. ‘Detro