And So We Walked: An Artist's Journey Along the Trail of Tears

DeLanna Studi brings And So We Walked: An Artist's Journey Along the Trail of Tears to the Singleton Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, running from April 16 through May 23, 2027. It's a solo theatrical memoir written and performed by Studi, a Cherokee artist, writer, and activist, and directed by Corey Madden.

The show started with a dream: Studi's grandmothers visited her, and she lived through their experiences. That dream sparked a curiosity about her own family history, and she eventually talked her father into joining her. He's an elder and one of about 900 living people whose first language is Cherokee, and he opened doors for her she wouldn't have had access to on her own. From there, the piece grew into a 900-mile journey, blending memoir, history, and contemporary storytelling. On stage, it slips between the past, the present, and the dream world, drawing on interviews, historical records, and Studi's own experience of that long walk.

Artistic Director Chris Coleman called it an "incredibly moving piece," and noted that the company hasn't staged an Indigenous story in many years since Black Elk Speaks, which he said was the highest-selling non-musical they've produced. The company has also been in contact with leadership at the Cherokee Nation, and they've pointed out that about 7,000 enrolled Cherokee live here in Colorado.

Tickets run from $41 to $89, which includes the 10% city seat tax, plus an 18% service fee. The show is about two and a half hours long, with a 15-minute intermission. If you're looking for a bit more, there are post-show talkbacks on May 6, 11, and 19, and an ASL-interpreted and audio-described performance on May 2 at 1:30 PM. You'll find the Singleton Theatre at 14th and Curtis in downtown's Arts Complex.