Theater

Carissa Atallah’s New Play Explores DACA Student Life Through Slam Poetry

Carissa Atallah’s new play, inspired by spoken-word competitions, centers on a DACA college student and the pivotal role poetry plays in her life.

American Theatre·May 6, 2026·via American Theatre

Carissa Atallah’s New Play Explores DACA Student Life Through Slam Poetry

(Art by Savina Monet)

Front and Center | Spring 2026

May 6, 2026 Gabriela Furtado Coutinho Leave a comment

A Slam Play in ‘Brown Face’

Participating in poetry is key in Carissa Atallah’s new play about a DACA college student that takes inspiration from spoken-word competitions.

By Gabriela Furtado Coutinho

Sometimes prose isn’t enough; artivism requires something louder. Carissa Atallah’s “part play, part slam poem” Brown Face embraces that need head-on. From May 7 through 24, this world premiere with Milagro in Portland, Oregon, promises to topple the fourth wall as audiences enter a world inspired by spoken word competitions. The story follows a college freshman, a DACA recipient, who is apprehensive about sharing her writing given the current political climate but finds a complicated outlet: She convinces her white, U.S.-born friend to perform her work at poetry slams.

“This play invites audiences in through the use of spoken word, because those environments rely on call and response,” explained Atallah. Performances throughout the run will be preceded by an open mic where local writers are welcome to share a poem, passage, or story. Director Mia Torres Garcia said she’s excited about how the play encourages audiences to participate and react aloud in a “sticky, timely confrontation” of activism and identity.

Care and conflict alike permeate Milagro’s 42nd season, themed “Fuerza en Familia” and featuring exclusively female playwrights. Brown Face addresses the theme of community in both content and practice, as the theatre will collaborate with local poetry groups to not only invite established writers to present pre-show, but encourage any audience member to sign up: Writing workshops leading up to the show aim to empower more individuals to speak their truth.

But how will the characters be received by the Portland community? Well, poetry slams tend to have judges, and true to form, audiences at Brown Face won’t be let off easily: They must make a collective decision with the volume of their cheers or applause. “Through the readings and student productions, the ending was always different,” teased Atallah. Let’s see how loud they get.

Gabriela Furtado Coutinho (she/ela/ella) is the digital editor of American Theatre , and a Chicago-based actor, playwright, and poet.