OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Department of Theatre
Arts will be making history (Sept. 24) by presenting its first all
African-American production.
“Blues for an Alabama Sky” is set during the Harlem Renaissance. It is
a clear-eyed look into the lives of the artists, dreamers and activists
who came out of the renaissance and found themselves in the grips of
the Great Depression.
“Just about anything that you can
imagine that took place during the Harlem Renaissance is covered in
this play,” said Rhona Justice-Malloy, chair of theatre arts and
director of the play. “There are subjects ranging from Margaret Sanger
to Langston Hughes.”
The show is scheduled in Meek Hall Auditorium at 8 p.m. Sept.
24-26 and Oct. 1-3, as well as 2 p.m. performances Sept. 26-27 and Oct.
4. Tickets are $10.50 for general admission, $8.50 for children and
seniors, and $7 for UM students with valid IDs. They are available at
the UM Box Office in the Ole Miss Student Union or by calling
662-915-7411.
Justice-Malloy believes that the theatre department is long overdue for an all African-American production.
“I felt that it was time for us to do a show by an
African-American, about African-Americans and acted by
African-Americans,” Justice-Malloy said.
Brittany Ray, senior theatre arts major from Moorhead, plays the role of Delia Patterson.
“It’s the first all-black cast we have had in the theatre
department,” she said. “And that’s pretty historic – I mean first black
president, first black cast. Why not? It seems like the right time.”
Jay Jurden, a senior English major and second-year theatre arts
major from Canton, plays the role of Guy Jacobs. Jurden says the
production has been an enjoyable experience.
“It’s a really close and small cast – it’s only five people –
which makes an incredibly intimate setting,” he said. “I’ve taken
classes or have been in classes with nearly everyone in the show.”
“We are going into our third week of rehearsal and we’re having
a great time,” Justice-Malloy said. “One of the things that the cast
has enjoyed is having the opportunity to research and expose ourselves
to aspects of the Harlem Renaissance.”
“We are going into our third week of rehearsal and we’re having
a great time,” Justice-Malloy said. “One of the things that the cast
has enjoyed is having the opportunity to research and expose ourselves
to aspects of the Harlem Renaissance.”
Justice-Malloy promises that the play will be unlike any other.
“You get to see a different kind of show,” she said. “There is a
lot of great storytelling and lots of history. You really get to learn
about the heritage of African-Americans in Harlem during that time
period. It’s a great show.”
“It’s a wonderful window into the lives of people who changed America but also were changed by America,” Jurden said.
For more information about the Department of Theatre Arts and the production, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/