NEW YORK—No, the play’s not about food. The term toast, in black culture, is spoken storytelling, which typically tells of folklore heroes, but may delve into other, more current issues.
The setting here is the Attica Correctional Facility, just prior to the famous riots of 1971. In July of that year, a group of prisoners had submitted a Manifesto of Demands—which included human rights and improvements in living conditions—to Commissioner of Corrections, Russell G. Oswald.
(L–R) Armando Riesco, Keith David, F. Hill Harper, and Jonathan Earl Peck appear in "ToasT," a Public Lab production written by Lemon Andersen and directed by Elise Thoron. Carol Rosegg
