The SIUE Black Theater Workshop (BTW) will present And the Verdict Is . . . A Campus Response to the Trayvon Martin Case at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, 7:30 p. m. Saturday, Feb. 1, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Metcalf Theater.
Admission is free and open to the public.
This original work is created by SIUE students under the direction of Kathryn Bentley, associate professor in the Department of Theater and Dance. It features original poetry, monologues, scenes, songs and dances that speak to the issue of social justice.
The ensemble of performers is comprised of SIUE students majoring in various disciplines including theater and dance, music performance, nursing and elementary education. They bring unique perspective that gives voice to frustrations, questions and revelations they experience as young people, who are navigating through the ambiguous maze of various issues of justice.
One scene is written by Cassandra Sampson, an SIUE alumnus and former student director of BTW. It highlights how one fictitious family deals with the emotions evoked by the Martin case.
Other short works within the play include an original spoken-word piece written and performed by first- year Theater Performance major Kenneth Coleman. The poem deals with justice in America.
Caleb Butler, a senior sociology major who is minoring in Black Studies, wrote a piece that examines his white privilege.
And the Verdict is…A Campus Response to the Trayvon Martin Case is a celebration of empowerment.
The BTW is able to perform excerpts from the production. For more information, please contact Bentley at kbentle@siue.edu or 618-650-2436.
For ticket and general information, call the box office at 618-650-2774 or email at theater-tickets@siue.edu.
Black Theater Workshop is an annual performance event that celebrates the voices and visions of SIUE’s diverse student population. The workshop, founded in 1998 by Lisa Colbert, has been under the artistic direction of Bentley since 2005.
Metcalf Theater is located on the SIUE campus. This is a handicapped accessible facility. Free parking is available on lot E just behind Dunham Hall. Visit, www.siue.edu/maps/.
About SIUE Black Theater Workshop
SIUE’s Department of Theater and Dance presents four main season plays and one dance concert along with the BTW and Cougar Theater Company during its October through April season. All productions are open to the community at large. The Department of Theater and Dance is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Visit siue.edu/artsandsciences/theater/or email tickets@siue.edu.