“Forgotten” Jazz Opera MotorCities Award of Excellence Finalist
Chris Garlock | Published on 10/5/2026
Forgotten: Murder at the Rouge Plant was a finalist in the MotorCities National Heritage Area’s 2026 Award of
Excellence in Education/Interpretation, recognizing the Michigan Labor History Society’s use of jazz opera to bring an overlooked chapter of labor history to life. The awards were presented October 1 in Livonia, Michigan, during the annual Awards of Excellence luncheon and Michigan Auto Heritage Day celebration. The production – which ran in Detroit Oct. 10-12, 2025, directed by Elise Bryant and written by Steve Jones -- interprets an important chapter of Michigan’s industrial and labor history through music and theater, putting workers’ stories at the center of the state’s automotive heritage.
NOTE: A filmed recording of the 2025 production will screen free in Wayne State’s Bernath Auditorium on October 14; RSVP here.
photo: Michigan Labor History Society’s Dave Elsila (left) and John Dick (center).