When I was asked to direct The Scottsboro Boys I was overwhelmed with excitement. To have the opportunity to tell these young men’s stories is an honor. For those of you that are not familiar with the story, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for an emotional ride. What happened to these boys was tragic, to say the least. For the next 100 minutes allow yourself to have an open mind and heart. Please know this is a true story of actual events that occurred in this country that ignited the civil rights movement during the Jim Crow era.
Haywood, Ozzie, Charlie, Clarence, Roy, Andy, Eugene, Willie, and Olen were just kids, with the youngest only 13 and the oldest 20. To have nine young actors that are the same ages as the boys depicted in The Scottsboro Boys will really make this play resonate with the audience. These talented artists do an amazing job telling this story. This process has reminded me how far we have come and how much further we still have to go.
This stage version is told in the style of a Minstrel show. The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American form of entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comedic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people specifically of African descent. These type of shows no longer exist.
It is my hope that you as an audience member leave the theater asking the question of how to help the movement for equality in the justice system.
I want to thank Holly Stanfield and Bradford High School for choosing to produce this piece. It’s a very important part of American history that we all need to know about. Working with this cast has changed my life. Every day I step into rehearsal I’m inspired by these young actors. It’s not easy to emulate this material day after day and not feel the pain and anger and injustice the boys went through. This experience has be extremely rewarding and I look forward to the next journey we take together.
