\n
University of Mississippi theatre arts majors Dominique McClellan (left), a senior from Grenada; Danny Francis, a junior from Franklin, La.; Kellee Fuller, a sophomore from Memphis; Brittany Ray, a senior from Moorhead; and Jay Jurden, a senior from Canton, rehearse a scene from the production of ‘Blues for an Alabama Sky.’ <\/b>UM photo by Kevin Bain.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n“Blues for an Alabama Sky” is set during the Harlem Renaissance. It is
\na clear-eyed look into the lives of the artists, dreamers and activists
\nwho came out of the renaissance and found themselves in the grips of
\nthe Great Depression.\n<\/p>\n
\n“Just about anything that you can
\nimagine that took place during the Harlem Renaissance is covered in
\nthis play,” said Rhona Justice-Malloy, chair of theatre arts and
\ndirector of the play. “There are subjects ranging from Margaret Sanger
\nto Langston Hughes.”\n<\/p>\n
\nThe show is scheduled in Meek Hall Auditorium at 8 p.m. Sept.
\n24-26 and Oct. 1-3, as well as 2 p.m. performances Sept. 26-27 and Oct.
\n4. Tickets are $10.50 for general admission, $8.50 for children and
\nseniors, and $7 for UM students with valid IDs. They are available at
\nthe UM Box Office in the Ole Miss Student Union or by calling
\n662-915-7411.\n<\/p>\n
\nJustice-Malloy believes that the theatre department is long overdue for an all African-American production.\n<\/p>\n
\n“I felt that it was time for us to do a show by an
\nAfrican-American, about African-Americans and acted by
\nAfrican-Americans,” Justice-Malloy said.\n<\/p>\n
\nBrittany Ray, senior theatre arts major from Moorhead, plays the role of Delia Patterson.\n<\/p>\n
\n“It’s the first all-black cast we have had in the theatre
\ndepartment,” she said. “And that’s pretty historic – I mean first black
\npresident, first black cast. Why not? It seems like the right time.”\n<\/p>\n
\nJay Jurden, a senior English major and second-year theatre arts
\nmajor from Canton, plays the role of Guy Jacobs. Jurden says the
\nproduction has been an enjoyable experience.\n<\/p>\n
\n“It’s a really close and small cast – it’s only five people –
\nwhich makes an incredibly intimate setting,” he said. “I’ve taken
\nclasses or have been in classes with nearly everyone in the show.”\n<\/p>\n
\n“We are going into our third week of rehearsal and we’re having
\na great time,” Justice-Malloy said. “One of the things that the cast
\nhas enjoyed is having the opportunity to research and expose ourselves
\nto aspects of the Harlem Renaissance.”\n<\/p>\n
\n
![\"skb?1087-dpr.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/ezing.me\/transfer\/wp-content\/uploads\/stories\/skb?1087-dpr.jpg\" "\\"skb?1087-dpr.jpg\\"")
<\/p>\n
\n
Danny Francis and Kellee Fuller rehearse a romantic scene from the production.<\/b> UM Photo by Kevin Bain.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n“We are going into our third week of rehearsal and we’re having
\na great time,” Justice-Malloy said. “One of the things that the cast
\nhas enjoyed is having the opportunity to research and expose ourselves
\nto aspects of the Harlem Renaissance.”<\/p>\n
\nJustice-Malloy promises that the play will be unlike any other.\n<\/p>\n
\n“You get to see a different kind of show,” she said. “There is a
\nlot of great storytelling and lots of history. You really get to learn
\nabout the heritage of African-Americans in Harlem during that time
\nperiod. It’s a great show.”\n<\/p>\n
\n“It’s a wonderful window into the lives of people who changed America but also were changed by America,” Jurden said.\n<\/p>\n
\nFor more information about the Department of Theatre Arts and the production, visit http:\/\/www.olemiss.edu\/depts\/<\/wbr>theatre?arts\/<\/a>. \u00a0For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5816.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Department of Theatre Arts will be making history (Sept. 24) by presenting its first all African-American production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n