CARBONDALE, IL — An evening of performance, food, and immersive dialogue is set to bloom at the Carbondale Civic Center from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM as the Poke Sallet Sally Dinner Theatre takes center stage. This free public event is a celebratory exploration of the pokeweed plant—a resilient and controversial wild green—and its ties to Southern food, Black cultural memory, and ecological knowledge.
At the heart of the evening is a performance by chef and storyteller Jerri X and her troupe The Poke Sallet Players. Known locally for her mobile kitchen Taste & Live and her radiant presence at the Carbondale Farmers Market, Jerri and her ensemble will bring to life stories, songs, and scenes that unpack the myths, warnings, and cultural legacies tied to poke sallet.
During the play, guests will share a lovingly prepared dinner that includes:
- Appetizer:Naan bread with a savory tomato-onion chutney
- Main Course:Barbecue black bean steak, Italian-style roasted potatoes with black olives and onions, and vegan coleslaw—available with “fake poke” or true pokeweed (for those who’ve signed a safety waiver)
- Dessert:Navy bean pie
- Drink:Ginger-lime squeeze
The evening will also feature Lynn Peemoeller, a globally recognized food systems planner whose work spans natural sciences, urban policy, art, and activism. Lynn’s practice uses food as an entry point to examine identity, culture, place, and ecological belonging. She has collaborated with farmers, artists, and institutions across Chicago, Berlin, Cyprus, and Dublin. Her recent work includes engagements with the HKW Berlin Anthropocene Project, the Science Gallery in Dublin, and the Good Food Festival in Chicago. Lynn currently serves on the board of the St. Louis Metro Market and is supported by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis for her “Supermarket Artist in Residence” project.
This event is supported by the Lower Mississippi Open SchoolIn Southern Illinois, this project seeks to “turn the university inside out,” centering collaborations with community members, artists, and organizers in Carbondale, Cairo, and Memphis to explore racial injustice, displacement, ecological memory, and creative land-based practices.