Behind the Scenes of A RECORD OF MONSTROUS FALSEHOODS

This preview offers a first look at the decade-long making of A Record of Monstrous Falsehoods: The State of Maryland v. the Black Panther Party (formerly The Records & The Ruse), a live documentary theatre project investigating the hidden and unresolved history of government operations targeting the Baltimore Panthers and the case for reparative action in Maryland.

Drawing on thousands of pages of state records, this edge-of-your-seat archival investigation asks how political power shapes the historical record—and our understanding of truth. The project will also be presented at the 2026 Black Panther Party’s 60th Anniversary Conference in October, and is a 2026 Rubys Artist Grant Awardees.

Join researcher, writer, and director, Andrea Conte ,and members of the cast in conversation with Dr. Raymond Winbush — researcher on the Oscar-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah. Dr. Winbush is the Director of the Institute for Urban Research and a research professor at Morgan State University, as well as an author and scholar of Black history and reparations. Other special guests speaking to community impact include:

• Dr. David O. Fakunle II is a Baltimore-born public health practitioner who served as chair of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He is an assistant professor at Morgan State University and director of the T.E.A.C.H. (Transforming Equity through Arts, Culture & Health) Division at the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum. 
• Dana Cole is Executive Director of Impact Hub Baltimore, where she supports entrepreneurs, grassroots leaders, and community organizations working to advance social change.
• Brian Sessions is a Baltimore-based educational innovator and activist and the founder and CEO of The ROC Enrichment Program, which uses arts and entertainment to deliver educational and social programming to K–12 students through schools and youth organizations.

Go behind the scenes of this interdisciplinary transmedia project to discover how archival evidence is adapted into live performance, what the creative team learned from bringing the investigation to the stage, and how the work is being reimagined for a new series of performances at the SNF Parkway as part of its inaugural performing artist residency.