Art as a Heartbeat: Ty’Ree Hope Davis Brings Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray to Everyman Theatre

Baltimore’s legacy of resilience, remembrance, and resistance takes center stage this February as Everyman Theatre, in collaboration with Young Playwrights’ Theater, presents Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray, a powerful one-night-only solo performance written and performed by Baltimore native Ty’Ree Hope Davis.

The production will be staged Monday, February 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Everyman Theatre in downtown Baltimore. Blending hip-hop, theater, and spoken-word storytelling, Riot honors the life and legacy of Freddie Gray, whose death in police custody in 2015 sparked national conversations around justice, policing, and systemic inequity.

At its core, Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray is both an intimate reflection and a communal reckoning. Davis portrays multiple perspectives in a narrative that follows Freddie—unaware of his own death—as he searches for a missing beat needed to complete a song. Alongside him is Ty, a middle school student who witnesses the aftermath of Freddie’s arrest and death. Together, their journey moves through memory and trauma, reconstructing moments of joy, pain, and injustice while ultimately revealing that Freddie’s heartbeat lives on through collective action and shared resistance.

Directed by Farah Lawal Harris, Artistic Director of Young Playwrights’ Theater, the production places the audience at the center of the experience. Through call-and-response chants and rhythmic participation, attendees become the “heartbeat” of the show—a living symbol of community strength and continuity.

“This work exemplifies what it means to create theatre that is truly built in Baltimore,” said Joseph W. Ritsch, Director of Education at Everyman Theatre. “Riot confronts our city’s history with honesty and care, while also creating space for dialogue, reflection, and healing.”

Harris echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the role of youth and community in shaping the narrative. “By inviting the audience to serve as the show’s heartbeat, Ty’Ree reminds us that these stories don’t live only on a stage,” she said. “They live within us, and within the communities that continue to fight for justice.”

The production is supported in part by the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America and aligns closely with Young Playwrights’ Theater’s mission to elevate youth voices and socially conscious storytelling on professional stages. Davis’ work is also part of YPT’s Young Playwrights in Progress initiative, which supports emerging artists developing original, unproduced scripts.

For Davis, the performance is deeply personal. A graduate of Howard University, he has built a career around storytelling that centers humanity, vulnerability, and truth. His previous stage credits include Red Pitch at Olney Theatre Center, Macbeth with the British American Drama Academy, and Word Becomes Flesh at Howard University.

“Riot uses hip-hop storytelling to explore how we remember our history,” Davis said. “Presenting this work at Everyman—especially for young people who need a space to process their world—is an honor. This project is about more than performance. It’s about healing, growth, and community.”

Everyman Theatre, now in its 35th season, continues to invest in programming that reflects Baltimore’s stories and voices. Founded in 1990, the Equity theatre company remains a cultural anchor in the Bromo Arts District, employing more than 150 artists, educators, and staff each season while maintaining its commitment to accessibility and community engagement.

Tickets for Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray, including in-person and livestream options, are available at
https://everymantheatre.org

Direct ticket purchase for this performance:
https://everymantheatre.org/riot-the-beat-of-freddie-gray

For Baltimore, this production is not just a performance—it is a reminder that art remains one of the city’s most powerful tools for truth-telling, remembrance, and collective hope.