Swimming Upstream: The Katrina Monologues

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ashé Cultural Arts Center proudly announces the return of Swimming Upstream: The Katrina Monologues to the Mahalia Jackson Theater. This powerful stage production shares the true stories of women navigating the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita—stories of survival, displacement, return, and transformation—through spoken word, song, and movement.

Originally produced by Carol Bebelle and V (formerly known as Eve Ensler), Swimming Upstream was first performed at the Superdome to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Co-written by a collective of women artists and activists from New Orleans, the work uplifts voices too often left out of mainstream recovery narratives—voices that not only endured the storm but helped shape the city's post-disaster renaissance.

The ensemble includes cultural icons and community leaders including Troi Bechet and Sekyiwa Shakur; revered performers like Joanna Hale and Jennifer Pagan; and community voices such as Monique Domingue, Simone Immanuel, Australia James, and Karel Sloane.