About this Event
You’re invited to a developmental staged reading of CAN’T TOUCH THIS, a new Afrofuturistic October play written and directed by Dr. Austin Dean Ashford as part of the USA 250 American Calendar Cycle.
Set during the Halloween season, CAN’T TOUCH THIS takes us inside a futuristic smart house where technology, memory, grief, and family history begin to collide. When the kids start playing with their grandfather’s dominoes, the house begins to reveal more than anyone expected — opening the door to flashbacks, family secrets, and a death that still haunts the room.
Blending humor, suspense, cultural memory, and futuristic imagination, CAN’T TOUCH THIS asks: What happens when the things we are told not to touch are the very things we need to confront?
This is a full ensemble staged reading and a live workshop performance where the script is still being shaped. Your presence matters. Your laughter, reactions, questions, and feedback help strengthen the next draft.
What to Expect
A full ensemble staged reading of a new play
A futuristic Halloween story rooted in family, memory, and technology
Run time: approximately 70–90 minutes
Community conversation / talkback after the reading
Light refreshments and community gathering
Event Details
CAN’T TOUCH THIS
Friday, October 16
Doors: 6:00 PM
Show: 6:30 PM
Ujamaa Community Bookstore
2424 Dr. MLK Jr. St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
If you love bold new theatre, Afrofuturism, Halloween stories, family drama, and plays that mix comedy with something deeper underneath, this night is for you.
Written and Directed by Dr. Austin Dean Ashford
Presented by Stage Academy
Part of the USA 250 American Calendar Cycle
Event venue & nearby stays
Ujamaa Community Bookstore, 2424 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Street, Indianapolis, United States
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