The Unraveling of a Dream

My life in the cast of Hamilton: An American Musical

[TW: racism, mental illness, heterosexism, sexual assault, self-harm]

I was an original cast member in the 1st National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical (aka the Angelica Company).

I have never been certain that I would share my experience, my realexperience, with the show publicly. I’ve gone back and forth about it a thousand times. It has taken me the better part of a year to write this, not only because of the pain and re-traumatization it brings, or because of the care and intention with which I am trying to handle this material, but because of the fear and anxiety I feel about dissenting from something that is such a major part of the zeitgeist. But I refuse to let fear and anxiety inhibit me from using my voice or taking up space. Now, more than ever, it is of the utmost importance for Black people to tell our stories, especially as they relate to the trauma we have incurred through the seemingly endless manifestations of systemic and institutionalized racism and oppression that have long upheld our world.

https://aninjusticemag.com/the-unraveling-of-a-dream-6824c652c013

written by: daniel james belnavis