The Department of Theatre Arts at Grambling State University is pleased to announce its production of The State of Mississippi and the Face of Emmett Till by Mamie Till Mobley and David Barr III. The play chronicles the life and tragic death of Emmett Till and the struggle his mother endured in the fight for justice. From Chicago to Money, Mississippi, the play does not miss a beat. It brings reality to the stage and forces the audience to recapture the hatred that was once a part of the life of the African-American. Emmett’s death has often been credited for “sparking the modern day Civil Rights Movement.”
Directed by Dr. King David Godwin, the cast consists of 12 talented GSU students. The production staff consists of Hardy Bates as technical director, Teisha Lincoln and Dominic Shaw as costume designers, Hardy Bates as light designer, Deron James as sound designer, Kedrick Smith as prop master and Shamir Ellsworth as stage manager.
The production runs Feb 23-26 at 7:00 PM each night. Advance admission ticket prices are $2 for students and $5 for general public; night of the performance admission ticket prices are $3 for students and $6 for general public. Box office hours are Monday – Thursday 1:00pm-5:00pm. For more information, please call Mrs. Modest (Box Office Manager) at 318 274-2201.
Cast members include: Orlando Lewellen (Emmett Till) from Fort Worth, TX; Emmanuel Fortune (Willie Reed) from Houston, TX; Justin Madden (Roy Bryant and John Whitten) from Los Angeles, CA; Ashley Boston (Alma Spearman) from Grambling, LA; Patrick Johnnie Jr (Maurice) from Lafayette, LA; Andrea Beasley (Mamie Till Bradley) from San Ramon, CA; Reginald Robinson II (Henry Spearman) from Monroe, LA; Ashley Gordon (Carolyn Bryant) from Chicago, IL; Cedric Clarke (Moses Wright) from Long Beach, CA; DeShaun Doby (Rayner, Chatham, Eastland) from Brooklyn, NY; Haile Harrison (Wilkins) from Shreveport, LA; and Sheldon Scott (Dees, JW Milam) from Chicago, IL.