It embodies the belief that anyone can take the stage and interpret one of the most accessible art forms and "reveal poetry as a living art."

For producers John Ridley and Michael J. McDonald, the decision to set this season, which tackles immigration and labor, in North Carolina was both creatively and politically significant.

"This is a group — a population — that supports and consumes the most entertainment. But yet they have no representation, almost. I mean, we have Jane the Virgin, but where are the movies?"