What does a warrior look like? Can a young person change the world?
Reluctant to cope with one more tragedy in a school—raise your hand if you feel me!—young activist Ya Girl is ready to call it quits on leading her million-plus Instagram followers in the fight for social justice. When Melba Pattillo Beals steps out of history and into Ya Girl’s phone to share the story of her battle to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, Ya Girl learns to see herself in Melba—and in all the young warriors who came before her to raise their hands and make a difference.
Inspired by Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals’s Little Rock Nine memoir Warriors Don’t Cry, this production is a catalyst for deeper discussion about social responsibility, civil discourse, social media, and community engagement.
Warriors Don’t Cry is co-conceived by award-winning playwright Donnetta Lavinia Grays (Where We Stand) and director Tamilla Woodard (Associate Director, Hadestown), featuring original music by Toshi Reagon, spoken word, and video projection. This production is a collaboration between The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and TheaterWorksUSA.
Recommended Ages: Grades 6 to 12
