The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is Writers’ Theatre’s one-woman education outreach production that tours Chicago and suburban schools every January and February. The show follows a young Chicago student’s personal evolution while studying the Civil Rights Movement. Using poetry, hip-hop and history, the performance features stories of both celebrated and unsung Chicago-based Civil Rights Activists, with one actress transforming into different characters. On the eve of the tour’s sixth year, Education Liaison Nicole Ripley had a discussion with actress Melane Brezill about the production.

Nicole Ripley: Melanie, this is your second year performing in The MLK Project. Can you talk a little bit about what draws you to this project?

Melanie Brezill: I was drawn to the piece because I had never encountered the Civil Rights Movement like this before. First-hand accounts of participants of the Movement, hip hop and poetry, sound clips and photo projections all intertwine to create a living, breathing and purposeful piece of art. I’ve never been so proud to share a piece with an audience. I absolutely had to come to back to dig a little deeper this time around.

NR: In the play, the character Alaya meets many local heroes, both well-known and lesser-known, of the Civil Rights Movement. Since this is a one-person show, you have the challenging job of transforming yourself into so many different characters. How have you tackled this?

MB: First and foremost, I remind myself to go back to the basics and just tell the story. With each of the characters I asked myself “what am I trying to say?” Once I felt like I was telling a clear story, I began to think about layers: physicality, accents, mannerisms, etc. That was the fun part. Of course, the characters in the show are actual historical figures, so I did study their real lives in order to bring them to life.

NR: Yes, these characters are real people – some of whom are still alive. What was your process for discov­ering who these people are? How much is reality, how much is fiction?

MB: I started by reading about each character. I wanted to encounter them this way first so that my imagina­tion could work. Then, I looked at old video footage and listened to audio in order to pick up their unique man­nerisms. My body and voice are the channels through which these characters come to life, so there are many choices I made and details I added working under Jimmy’s direction.

NR: You mention working under Jimmy McDermott’s direction. In theatre, the actor, director and designers work together to tell the story. Can you say anything about how this process worked in rehearsal?

MB: This play is a collaborative piece from top to bottom. I love that about it. For example, our director Jimmy has the ability to see what the piece looks like as a whole. In rehearsal he would often shape pictures or make adjustments that helped to tell the story. In the same way, Mikhail, sound designer extraordinaire, would create beats and arrange sound cues to elicit feeling and convey meaning through music and sound. The same goes for the costuming and props. In the rehearsal process, all of these individuals watched and made adjustments to create the product. Without any one of these elements, the show would fall short in getting the message across to the audience.

NR: One of those messages is that Alaya realizes she has to use her mind and her art instead of her fists in order to reach her dreams. How and when did you know you wanted to be a professional actor? What did you need to do, or keep in mind, in order to achieve your goals?

MB: I knew that I was serious about pursuing acting professionally during my senior year in college when I turned down “real” jobs in order to work in the theatre. I studied theatre at Northwestern University where I used to create lists of the types of roles I wanted to play. Taking class, reading and taking care of my body are all very important to achieving the goals I have. I think the best actors are students of life so I try to be as well-rounded as possible.

NR: What has been the biggest challenge working on The MLK Project?

MB: The biggest challenge has been keeping the show fresh. I think with a one-person show it can be easy to slip into a routine way of doing and saying things because there is no one else to respond to onstage. In order to sustain the piece I have to find new discoveries each time I perform.

NR: That seems like a particular challenge in this one-person play. As a profes­sional actor you have been in many kinds of productions. What is your favorite kind of play to work on?

MB: I love to work on all sorts of plays. Because music is such an important part of my life, I love doing plays with music, regardless of whether there is singing or not. I think that music has a way of completing stories like nothing else can. I also love doing shows that are rooted in some sort of historical context. I love discovering new ways to retell history.

NR: The MLK Project includes both of those things. What has been your favorite thing working on The MLK Project?

MB: My favorite part has been traveling across the Chicagoland area and performing for thousands of students. Each audi­ence sees the show from its own unique perspective, making my role fun each time. I get artisitically inspired when I hear the students’ comments and feedback.

NR: Have you learned anything new working on The MLK Project?

MB: I have learned so much working on this project. I was not familiar with many of the characters in the play before I took on the role. The play does an amazing job of bringing lesser-known figures of the Civil Rights Movement, all of whom have a Chi­cago connection, to the forefront. I had no idea there was so much history in my backyard.

NR: Do you have any message you’d like to leave with the students who watch The MLK Project?

MB: I want to tell students to DREAM. There are so many obstacles and things that may threaten your dreams but you have to fight to hold onto them. Be encouraged and inspired by the characters’ stories in the play. See that even though all of the charac­ters faced obstacles, they never gave up on their dreams. As Reverend Kyles says in the play, “The dream is still alive.”

As I drove to the theatre this morning I was thinking about going to the first rehearsal for this year’s tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights. This year marks the fifth annual tour of our outreach production and after five years I still find contemporary relevance that makes this production vital.

The play follows a young girl who gets into trouble for fighting and is given an assignment to research Dr. King—a man of peace. As she explores the Civil Rights Movement she is transformed by the stories from real-life activists in Chicago. The MLK Project addresses issues of discrimination, racism and intolerance through the eyes of both the celebrated and unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.

In the fall of 2010 there were dozens of news stories about bullying and students taking their own lives to escape the harassment. School bullying and student safety have become an important focus among educators, administrators and parents.

With all that in mind, I feel very proud to bring The MLK Project into schools once again this year. This play and the post-show discussion provide a safe space in which students can address issues of prejudice and discrimination and move toward a more empathetic understanding of their peers. Conversations about acceptance and understanding help students see that they aren’t alone in their experiences. We can’t claim that The MLK Project is going to stop bullying or end prejudice. But if these powerful stories can help students think about treating each other with respect and kindness we can consider that a success.

This week we closed the 2009 Tour of The MLK Project and we are thrilled to say that in the past three years we have toured this production to over 75 schools, reaching more than 20,000 students!

We would like to share some of the student and teacher responses to the 2009 Tour as those are the best indicators of our success:

“This play really introduced me to a deeper meaning of the Civil Rights Movement and the activists. I really love how she became one with each and every character she played. This play inspired me to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement.”

–Student, Marshall Middle School

“A part that stood out to us was when the lady told the kid that he wasn’t good enough to be a doctor. You showed us that you could be whatever you want and nobody can tell you what you should or shouldn’t be.”

-Students, Sheridan Math and Science Academy

“I liked the fact that even though the events that were acted out happened years ago the presenter was thorough and I thought she was there and I felt like I was there!”–Student, Goodlow Elementary

“The combination of story plus the visuals really grabbed my students’ attention, particularly the story of Emmett Till. They were fighting over who got to check out a great book I have on Emmett Till. I now have a waiting list!”

–Teacher, Marshall Middle School

“The students were able to see photographs of topics they discussed in class. It gave them a student view of the topic, through the actor. The students could identify with the main character who was frustrated about doing research, yet discovered the benefit.”

–Teacher, Schiller Elementary

We’ll see you next year! If you are interested in bringing The MLK Project to your school in 2010 contact me, the Interim Director of Education, Nicole Gilman at 847-441-6840.

This has been an exciting year to be touring a show about the Civil Rights Movement to schools. We kicked off the tour on January 19 (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and continue to tour

The MLK Project through the end of February. This year, the election of the first African American President has brought Dr. King’s dream and the Civil Rights Movement back into our national dialogue. Many students see this past election as an important step in our continued fight for civil rights in this country and they enjoy discussing what might be next.

One of the most interesting things about bringing The MLK Project into schools is that you never know which parts of the play are going to be of most interest to students. Some students are most interested in the production and what it takes to rehearse and stage a play, some want to discuss the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or the poetry and music used in the performance. Each school has a new group of students with their own interests and ideas, which is the most exciting part of working on a touring production.

One particular story that students ALWAYS want to discuss is that of Emmett Till.

There are many students who attend The MLK Project who have never heard about how Emmett Till at the young age of 14 was viciously beaten and murdered for saying hello to a white woman in a store. There are so many reasons that I think this section of the play stands out to students not the least of which is that they are all about the same age as Emmett was when he was murdered.

Recently we were engaged in an incredible post-show discussion after a performance of The MLK Project at a school on Chicago’s far south side when a teacher raised her hand and commented, “I’m actually related to Emmett Till. My father’s first cousin was in the house with Emmett the night that the white men showed up and took him away from the house and killed him. That is something we have always had trouble talking about in my family. Until very recently we did not discuss what happened to Emmett when he was killed that night. I just want to say thank you for sharing this today. It may not be easy but we all need to hear these stories so that we can keep moving forward.”

It is wonderful to think about how far we have come in the past few decades, especially in the light of our recent, historic presidential election. But it is easy to forget how much more work there is to be done. I’m proud to be able to share The MLK Project with students so that we can “keep moving forward.”

The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights has now been on tour for a week and a half. Each time, each audience, each place carries with it different challenges, rewards and lessons. As Community Liaison, it is my job to facilitate the entire experience for the students and teachers. Part of this entails the post-show dialogue. It is my belief that the discussion that happens after the play is just as vital as the show and it is the hope of Writers’ Theatre hope that this dialogue is progressive, probing and challenging.

To be honest I came into this position with a bit of nervousness and hesitation. I have confidence in my skills as a facilitator and I believe in the programming. However, I knew it was not going to be easy. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to walk into schools and, in a twenty-minute discussion, explore the entirety of relevance of the Civil Rights Movement, or the presence of discrimination and other social problems in America today.

I have also been forced to confront my own identity in this work. I am a white woman. Many of the schools I walk into are predominantly African-American. And so I am the “other” in the room. At one school last week this was particularly apparent. When asking what students could do to help end discrimination, a girl replied something to the affect, “It will stop when they stop sending white people to talk to us about it.”

This is a challenge. And it is one that is important to be open and honest about with the community and myself. Behind it needs to be understanding. Yes, my presence when talking about the Civil Rights Movement can continue to open wounds and can continue to prompt defensiveness. But I also believe that it is important that I am in this role as an ally. It is important that students see and hear someone who is different. We progress nowhere if we tiptoe around issues, if we pretend that we have risen above problems of discrimination, or if we belief that only those with similar identities can confront today’s problems.

Our world today is still very much in need of change. This project has continued to illuminate to me that we are still living in a time of prejudice, discrimination, and hate crimes. We are living in a city that is still segregated among communities. It is my personal belief that the education system is where change must begin. And it is through progressive programming and dialogue that this will be enabled to happen.

There are no quick fixes. And change does not come easy. But it is my hope that when I leave a school after having brought The MLK Project there, at least one student has began to think differently, at least one student has opened their mind slightly wider, at least one student will leave and seek out this conversation beyond the walls of the theatre. And I do think this happens with every performance.

I want to end by sharing with you a few other comments from students in the past week. The first is from a young, white male who attended a performance at the Winnetka Women’s Day Club. He voiced aloud that his community prides itself on being open-minded and liberal; and yet prejudice still exists, everywhere, whether we chose to admit it or not. The next day at a school on the south side a sixth grade, African- American male student said that “discrimination is a global issue […] it still happens today every where […] and we can only bring peace to others, if we have peace in our own hearts.” This last comment came from a fifteen year-old African-American girl, “Young people need to be educated. They need to be able to talk about these issues openly. It is something that affects everyone, and we need to learn and talk with others and ourselves so that it can begin to be better.”

It is these voices that continue to speak to me. These words that continue to leave me hopeful. It is these words that speak to Martin Luther King’s dream.