Students and resident were given a special opportunity for Black History Month as New Stage Theater’s Professional Apprentice Company brought the Civil Rights fight to life Wednesday at Newton High School.
“If Not Us Then Who: Freedom Riders to Freedom Summer” is an original play that follows the Civil Rights efforts of Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evars and John Lewis and the impact they made on Mississippi and the nation.
Starting off with the 13 Freedom Riders, who traveled by bus to the south to challenge racial segregation, the play highlights the emotional and physical struggles of the riders, who faced violence, arson and imprisonment for their efforts.
“If Not Us Then Who” also touches on Freedom Summer, a massive summer program in 1964 when Mississippians and out-of-state volunteers helped African Americans register to vote. As with the Freedom Riders, volunteers for Freedom Summer faced bombings, beatings and death by angry white residents upset by their efforts.
Tiwari McLain, district librarian for Newton School District, said Wednesday’s performance was part of a 3-play tour offered by New Stage Theater’s Arts-in-Education program, which offers touring performances and workshops for students. The tour, she said, was made available through a grant.
“It’s part of a grant from the Mississippi Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts,” she said. “They put up half, and then we had to put up half.”
In addition to “If Not Us Then Who,” New Stage Theatre also performed “Who You Calling Ugly: A Modern Duck Tale,” which is an adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Ugly Duckling,” and the classic Shakespeare play, “Macbeth.”
McLain said the district owes a big thank you to New Stage Theatre, the Mississippi Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts for making the plays possible for Newton students and the community.
