Five women recall the impact that Mrs. Coretta Scott King had on their lives in the Black Theatre Troupe production of A Song for Coretta, by Pearl Cleage; directed by Mike Traylor.
On February 6, 2006, people began lining up at dawn outside of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay their respects to the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose body lay in state in the small sanctuary. At close to midnight, the crowd has dwindled to a determined few. This lovely, image-soaked testament to the civil rights icon is seen through the eyes of five women at the end of that long line of mourners.
Playwright Pearl Cleage, who is also a poet and novelist, was inspired to write the play after seeing news footage of mourners paying their last respects to Mrs. King. Cleage wanted the audience to see Mrs. King through the lens of the people whose lives she impacted. She crafted this play into five women, from a wide variety ages and backgrounds, all waiting patiently in the rain as the long line made its way to the doors of the church. Their wit and recollections are a life-affirming testament to the legacy of Mrs. King.
Dates:
January 13-January 22, 2012
Times:
Friday-Saturday 8:00pm, Sunday 3:00pm, Thursday (Second Week Only) 2:00pm, Saturday (Second Week Only) 2:00pm
