Free Production Will Focus on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
North Carolina Central University (NCCU), in partnership with Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and the Duke-NCCU Bridge Office, are sponsoring an ethnodrama production focused on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. “The Right Right Now Show with Collin Aaron Bodi” will be presented as an online streaming option due to forecasted adverse weather. The movie drive-in for this showing is rescheduled for Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, at 6 p.m., at St. Mark's AME Zion Church, 531 S. Roxboro Street, Durham, N.C. Food trucks and health and wellness vendors will be onsite.
The online streaming showtimes for the show will start on Friday, October 8, at 6 p.m., and remain online for public viewing. The ethnodrama is free to watch and family-friendly.
To view the film online: https://vimeo.com/event/1342385
To register for attendance of the drive in: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nccu-duke-ctsi-present-the-right-right-now-show-tickets-177435794237
Viewers are asked to complete a survey following the film: https://nccu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bf5q3tDgmxSxYii.
This is the second in a series of ethnodramas addressing COVID-19 by two award-winning, performance arts veterans, playwright Dasan Ahanu and director Asabi. The play will address the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, as well as the barriers that lead to vaccine hesitancy among high-risk communities. The production also included members of the NCCU Department of Theatre and Dance.
“As social scientists and mental health professionals, we may have underestimated the influence of misinformation and negative narratives through social media. The play will address how these messages shape people’s perceptions of COVID-19 and influences their decision to get the vaccine,” said Jonathan Livingston, professor of Psychology, Ph.D., co-principal investigator of the Duke/NCCU partnership.
Entering their third year of programming, NCCU and Duke CTSI’s goal is to provide factual information to help people in high-risk communities make informed, responsible health decisions surrounding health disparities.
"Sharing experiences of people impacted by COVID-19, increasing knowledge of the virus, and encouraging precautionary health related behavior, are important so that people can make informed decisions about their health risk and participation in research," said Undi Hoffler, Ph.D., director of NCCU’s Research Compliance and Technology.
Ahanu agrees, saying, “The goal is to make sure that folks who are often most affected have the information they need. We also know that communities of color have been hit very hard by COVID. Due to complicating factors, the rates of occurrences and deaths have been higher for people of color. We want to make sure to present that perspective so that our communities feel seen and heard.”
Participants at the movie drive-in will have an opportunity to participate in a research survey that will assess knowledge, attitudes, and vaccine hesitancy as it relates to COVID-19. Participants will have an opportunity to receive incentives for their participation in research.
“Meeting people where they are and providing accurate information about COVID-19 are so important and can play a crucial role in helping people make life-saving decisions for themselves and their loved ones,” said Lisa Davis, director of Operations, Duke-NCCU Bridge Office.
For questions about the production, please contact Crystal Taylor at [email protected].
