Tina Morris-Anderson Is Simply Marvelous as
Mamie Till Mobley in The Face of Emmett Till

Pure Life Theatre's production of The Face of Emmett Till by Mamie Till Mobley and David Barr III is an important theatrical event. The story of the racially motivated murder of a 14-year-old boy in Mississippi nearly 68 years ago may be as relevant today as ever.

The focal point of the story is the murder by lynching of young Emmett; but the overriding theme is the path for justice paved by his mother, Mamie Till Mobley. The story is told through a series of vignettes. These fragments show details; but together, they paint a deeper tapestry about the Civil Rights movement in America.

Ten years ago, this might have been an interesting historical piece, but recent events have increased the depth and impact of the issues and struggles. Director Deb Royals has hung photos on the sides of the stage of recent victims of racial violence, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Trayvon Martin. A look at recent North Carolina court decisions attacking voting rights and banning race-related history in our schools and libraries also shines a new light on this old problem.

This is absolutely the type of show to bring younger people to see. Even though I'd probably set the lower age limit to (mature) 12-year-olds, it opens up subjects that you can talk to them about. Sadly, these are subjects that they may never again see in a school or a library. The real examples herein are exactly the issues that Emmett Till failed to understand.

Pure Life Theatre's production of The Face of Emmett Till stars Tina Morris-Anderson as
Mamie Till Mobley and Ajani Kambon as Roy Wilkins (photo by Tiffani Staten)

Tina Morris-Anderson is simply marvelous as Chicagoan Mamie Till Mobley. She covers decades of sorrow, guilt, and anger as she tries to understand what happened to her son in rural Mississippi during a visit with family in August of 1955. Even with warnings from his mother and his grandparents Alma and Henry Spearman, played by Verlene Gainey Oates and Taufiki Lee, respectively. Mamie Till Mobley's inspiring story takes her from a distraught single parent, to a Civil Rights leader and speaker, to a college degree and a long teaching career.

Jireh Ijeoma also provides a standout performance as Emmett Till. Ijeoma shows a maturity as a performer well beyond his 16 years. Darius Hooks leads the cast of "Whisperers" in three Gospel/Spiritual numbers, used to set the tone for the audience; and Taufiki Lee leads the number sung in lieu of curtain calls and then leads the cast into the exit foyer to greet the audience. This opportunity to meet the performers is yet another reason to bring young people to this show.

The play was written by Mamie Till Mobley, along with David Barr III. The script uses Mamie Till Mobley's actual words quite effectively.

Julia Gainey's costumes set the scene changes nicely. Local favorites Kurt Benrud and Jim O'Brien were strong as lawyers making the cases during the sham trial for the perpetrators of the lynching.

The Face of Emmett Till stars (from left) John Ivey as Mose Wright, Blake Lee as
Roy Bryant, and Jireh Ijeoma (on bed) as Emmett Till (photo by Tiffani Staten)

If I were to have any criticism, it would be with the second act. The first act did a better job of showing the overarching Civil Rights issues, even including a shocking lack of assistance from the NAACP. The second act focused a bit too much on the trial, which repeated much of what we learned in the first half, and more disturbingly, reenacted much of the crime. This was extremely violent, racist, and profane. It was impactful, but did not really advance the story for me. The reenactments may have had more context in the first act.

Sadly, the 85-seat venue was more than half empty. The ability to support important stories at local theaters and to share the experience with young people is priceless. The show is running through Friday-Sunday, May 21st, in William Peace University's Leggett Theatre and on June 9th, 11th, 14th, 15th, and 17th in Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, both in Raleigh.

Please go!

Pure Life Theatre will perform The Face of Emmett Till, under the direction of Deb Royals, on May 12-21
in William Peace University's Leggett Theatre on the second floor of Main Building and June 9-17
in Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium (photo by Tiffani Staten)

Mamie Till Mobley and David Barr III's THE FACE OF EMMETT TILL (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14 and 19-21, in Leggett Theatre and June 9, 11, 14, 15, and 17, in Murphy School Auditorium), directed by Deb Royals and starring Tina Morris-Anderson as Mamie Till Mobley, Jireh Ijeoma as Emmett Till, Verlene Gainey Oates as Alma Spearman, Taufiki Lee as Henry Spearman, Vincent Drayton as Moses Wright, and Quinn Sanders as Maurice (Pure Life Theatre in Leggett Theatre in Main Building at William Peace University and in Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, both in Raleigh). VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc4CsZ5WoMaPwoHtKjCHLxA. THE PRESENTER: https://www.purelifetheatre.com/, https://www.facebook.com/purelifetheatre/, https://www.instagram.com/purelifetheatre/, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc4CsZ5WoMaPwoHtKjCHLxA. 2022-23 SEASON: https://www.purelifetheatre.com/upcoming-events. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://www.purelifetheatre.com/general-5. THE FACE OF EMMETT TILL (1999 Drama/Tragedy, originally entitled The State of Mississippi vs. Emmett Till): https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/the-face-of-emmett-till and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_State_of_Mississippi_and_the_Face_of_Emmett_Till. THE SCRIPT (excerpt): https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/media/pdf/excerpts/exFaceEmmettTillF93.pdf. MAMIE ELIZABETH TILL MOBLEY (Webb, MS-born mother of Emmett Till, nee Mamie Elizabeth Carthan, 1921-2003): https://mtmmf.org/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamie_Till. DAVID BARR III (playwright and screenwriter): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7344188/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Barr_(playwright). VENUE #1 (Leggett Theatre): https://www.visitraleigh.com/listing/leggett-theatre-at-william-peace-university/59630/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.peace.edu/about/locations-directions/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://www.peace.edu/health/. VENUE #2 (Murphy School Auditorium): https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://www.purelifetheatre.com/general-5. TICKETS: $32.50 ($30 students, seniors, and active-duty military personnel), except $28 per person for groups of 10 or more, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-839-9505 or purelifetheatre@gmail.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Pure Life Theatre.

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