What Is the Story of Hurt Village?
Set in the crumbling Hurt Village housing project in Memphis, Katori Hall’s drama is the story of Cookie, a 13-year-old girl who wants to be a rapper. Cookie lives with her mother, Crank (who collects welfare and receives cash under the table as a hairstylist), and her great-grandmother, Big Mama (who is proud to be a hard-working nurse). When Memphis is awarded a government grant to demolish Hurt Village, Cookie and her family must move out. As the family is packing to leave, Cookie’s father, Buggy, returns home from Iraq and tries to reconnect with his daughter and the community. But when Big Mama discovers she makes too much money to qualify for section 8 housing in the suburbs, the family’s dreams are dashed. With nowhere to go, each family member searches for a way to survive.