BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University’s Hobson Memorial Union, Diversity Jam and Northwest Technical College present “Dr. King’s Dream,” a play chronicling the career of Dr. Martin Luther King from its beginning during the Montgomery bus boycott to his death in Memphis, Tenn. The play, presented by the Mixed Blood Theatre Company, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the Beaux Arts Ballroom on the BSU campus.
At noon on Thursday, Jan. 31, the performance will be repeated in the Commons Area at Northwest Technical College.
The scene is Dr. King’s room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., shortly before 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968.
Dr. King has come to Memphis to help organize and take part in demonstrations supporting a strike by African American sanitation workers. Now, at the end of a long day of meetings and negotiations, a tired Dr. King is preparing to go to the home of Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles for a soul food dinner. While waiting for Ralph Abernathy to finish dressing for dinner, Dr. King and Rev. Kyles pass the time in idle conversation. Rev. Kyles asks the question, “When were you most frightened?” a question which leads Dr. King into a review of his work in the Civil Rights movement.
Drawing on his books, sermons and speeches, “Dr. King’s Dream” is taken almost entirely from the words of Dr. King, although the words are often placed out of their proper context. The play’s simple setting will sometimes have the audience viewing diverse locations such as Dr. King’s motel room, a church sanctuary or the Lincoln Memorial. The play makes heavy use of the flashback, as the play’s chronology moves from 1968 backwards in time to 1955, and then returns to 1968.
For more information, contact the Hobson Memorial Union at (218) 755-3765.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Jan. 30 – 7:30 p.m. – Bemidji State University’s Hobson Memorial Union, Diversity Jam and Northwest Technical College present “Dr. King’s Dream,” a play chronicling the career of Dr. Martin Luther King. Location: Beaux Arts Ballroom, BSU campus. Admission: free. Information: (218) 755-3765
About Mixed Blood
The Mixed Blood Theatre Company, based in Minneapolis, is a professional, multi-racial theatre group promoting cultural pluralism and individual equality through artistic excellence. Using theater as a vehicle for artistry, entertainment, education and social change, Mixed Blood Theatre addresses artificial barriers that keep people from succeeding in American society. Mixed Blood’s purpose is to: produce plays using culture-conscious casting; provide the finest forum in the nation for theatre artists of color to practice their craft; take artistic risks in the selection and production of plays; reach a non-traditional theatre audience; and produce educational programs on racial and cultural themes
Since its founding in 1976, Mixed Blood Theatre has remained dedicated to the spirit of Dr. King’s dream. With plays ranging from intimate chamber theater to irreverent political satires to technical extravaganzas, Mixed Blood convenes disparate peoples under its roof for common purpose. The theatre presents over 500 performances annually in the Alan Page Auditorium of its historic firehouse theatre, as well as in schools, churches, community centers, juvenile detention centers and workplaces.
For further information about Mixed Blood, visit its Web site at: http://www.mixedblood.com.