DC Theater Arts: With its running time of 90 minutes without an intermission, The Ballad of Emmett Till is the shortest play in Ifa Bayeza’s The Till Trilogy now in repertory at Mosaic Theater. Yet watching The Ballad of Emmett Till is like watching the playing out of an inevitable head-on automobile collision: everything seems to be taking place in slow motion and we seem to see everything in excruciating detail.
2 comments:
I really wish I could go see this play after reading the article about it. It’s very necessary and very powerful to see him as a person, while acknowledging the tragedy without letting it be the only thing taking center stage. I am also realizing now the impact that these past few years have had on the kind of work that gets put out there. It also may be because I only recently started noticing, but looking back to maybe even five years ago I think pieces like this would be harder to find like they are now. Pieces deconstructing historical events, those centering around people of color and the brutality that they have to face on a daily basis. Especially black communities, that are often the ones most affected by it. From the photos and description of the set, I think it lends itself to the kind of play this is.
Hearing and witnessing Emmet Till's story evokes such deep sadness and anger within me, especially as a black American. I just want to appreciate the fact that this is a production with a black cast and crew. It is very rare for their to be not only black actors on the screen but working behind them as well. And I feel as if this decision has made this depiction of Till's life a more impactful and personal experience for those perceiving and working on the show. I want to appreciate how "The Ballad of Emmett Till" doesn't just focus on the traumatic event that occurred to him and his last moments on this earth. But rather showcases him as a 14 year old boy with a future ahead of him and a life before the event that took place. We get to witness him discover things about himself and his surroundings, his family and just him as an individual rather than another demonstration of hate-crime and racism towards black people.
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