Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till (online only)

×

Expand

Mike Wiley

Mike Wiley during his performance of Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till

PRESS RELEASE:

In honor of Black History, the Friday Center for Continuing Education proudly presents a live, online theatrical performance presented by acclaimed actor and playwright Mike Wiley. Crafted from the public record, his one-man, multiple character performance of Dar He offers a transfixing dramatization of the historic interviews and events surrounding the lynching and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till.

In 1955, a 14-year-old black Chicago youth travelled to the Mississippi Delta with country kinfolk and Southern cooking on his mind. He walked off the train and into a world he could never understand. It was a world of thick color lines, of hard-held class systems and unspeakable taboos. Young Emmett crossed that line and stepped into his gruesome fate by whistling at a white woman. This riveting play chronicles the murder, trial and unbelievable confession of the men accused of Till’s lynching. His death was a spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement in America.

Portraying an entire cast of black, white, male and female characters, Mike Wiley’s solo performance reminds us that we are all one humanity. It is a living monument and tribute to the change-making unsung heroes from the African-American experience. Dar He offers a powerful lesson of truth and the triumph of the human spirit.

Dar He presents live from the stage of the Clayton Center, in Clayton, N.C., and broadcasts in real time via Zoom. Registered participants will receive the Zoom link a few days in advance of the event. Following the performance, participants will have opportunity for a live interactive Q&A session with Mike Wiley.