[NEohioPAL] Diversity Play at Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts

[wsd]

Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts Drama Department

For Immediate Release:

Come celebrate the power of Diversity at Miller South School for the 
Visual and Performing Arts!
“Diversity Play” is a collage of poetry, monologues, songs, dances and 
dramatic interpretations created by a cast of 41 4th through 8th grade 
students. This collaborative and original work explores cultural 
differences through the sensibilities and viewpoints of young people in 
the 21st century. The cast looks to the past for influential events and 
speeches in the history of the Civil Rights movement from Martin Luther 
King, Jr. and Sojourner Truth. African-American artists Ira Aldridge, 
Alvin Ailey, Elizabeth Catlett, and Mahalia Jackson also provide 
inspiration for the writing teams.

India Burton of Ma’Sue Productions, an Akron-based African American 
theatre company and Wendy Duke, Miller South Drama teacher co-direct 
this production. Both Burton and Duke are graduates of the University of 
Akron’s Theatre program and learned how to devise original 
community-based performance material in their work with theatre 
professor James Slowiak. The cast participated in Story Circles with 
students from the University of Akron’s Department of Sociology under 
the guidance of Dr Carolyn Behrman. Dances were choreographed by local 
choreographer and former Miller South dance student Karol 
Jackson-Bostick and Donna Peckett, co-founder of Tapit/New Works 
Ensemble from Madison, WI. Miller South piano student, Kofi Boakye, 
provides musical accompaniment throughout.

Performances are Thursday, January 9th at 7 pm, Friday, January 10th at 
9 AM and Saturday, January 11th at 7 pm in the Margo Snider Theatre at 
Miller South, 1055 East Ave., Akron 44307. Tickets are $15 for Reserved 
Orchestra seating, General seating is $10 Adults, $5 for Senior Citizens 
and Students. For further information, call the box office at 330-761-3106.