Zion Lutheran Church of Anoka Presents Flight Domestic Violence Performance

ANOKA, Minn. — On Friday evening, January 23, 2026, the sanctuary of Zion Lutheran Church of Anoka will be transformed into a space of witness, remembrance, and reckoning as the community gathers for Flight, a multidisciplinary theatrical production that brings the lived realities of domestic violence into public view.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m., Flight presents the true stories of four individuals whose lives have been shaped by domestic abuse. Told through an intimate fusion of spoken word, music, and movement, the performance resists abstraction. Instead, it insists on presence, asking audiences not to look away from the emotional and physical toll of violence that too often unfolds behind closed doors.

The event is the result of a collaboration between the Anoka County Violence Prevention Roundtable, Zion Lutheran Church of Anoka, and the The Art of Reconciliation Theatre Company, a Minnesota-based ensemble known for using theater as a vehicle for truth-telling, restorative dialogue, and community healing.

Originally debuting in 2023, Flight returns at a moment when advocates say public awareness and community engagement remain critical. National and local data continue to show that domestic violence cuts across age, race, faith, and income, often leaving survivors isolated and unheard. The production’s creators describe the work as an effort to hold both grief and resilience in the same breath: the depth of despair alongside the fragile but persistent courage required to survive.

Artistically, the performance interweaves firsthand testimony with interpretive dance and song, allowing the body and voice to speak where language alone can fall short. At times graphic in its depiction of abuse, Flight is recommended for mature audiences. Organizers emphasize that the intent is not shock, but honesty, grounded in respect for survivor narratives.

The evening is designed to extend beyond the stage. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., attendees may visit an optional resource fair featuring local organizations dedicated to violence prevention, survivor advocacy, and support services. Following the performance, a facilitated post-show discussion will be led by The Dwelling Place, offering space for reflection, questions, and connection to concrete resources. The Dwelling Place provides transitional housing, advocacy, and healing support for individuals impacted by domestic violence.

Also housed within the church’s narthex will be the Silent Witness exhibit, a stark memorial of red silhouettes. Each figure represents an Anoka County resident who lost their life to domestic violence, a visual reminder that the stories shared on stage are not isolated tragedies, but part of a broader and ongoing public health crisis.

Admission to Flight is by free-will donation, a choice organizers say reflects a commitment to accessibility and community inclusion. Proceeds support continued prevention and survivor-support efforts across Anoka County.

In a time when conversations about violence are often fragmented or politicized, Flight offers something quieter and more demanding: an invitation to listen, to sit with discomfort, and to acknowledge the human cost of silence. For one evening, art becomes both mirror and meeting place, holding up stories that ask the community not only to witness, but to respond.

Event Details

• What: Flight — A theatrical exploration of domestic violence
• When: Friday, January 23, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. (Resource fair begins at 6:30 p.m.)
• Where: Zion Lutheran Church of Anoka, 1601 4th Ave, Anoka, MN
• Admission: Free-will donation
• Partners: Anoka County Violence Prevention Roundtable, Zion Lutheran Church of Anoka, The Art of Reconciliation Theatre Company, The Dwelling Place

For MinneapoliMedia, Flight stands as a reminder that journalism, like art, has a role to play in illuminating harm, honoring truth, and amplifying the voices too often left unheard.

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