On Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3:00 p.m., Mike Wiley, a Roanoke native, will take the stage at the Harvester Performance Center, 450 Franklin St. in Rocky Mount, VA, in an original one-man production of “Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till.”
Wiley gives life to all the voices involved in this story about a 14-year-old young man from Chicago who went to Mississippi in 1955, eager to visit family, only to fall victim to class and race lines that were never to be crossed in the south. Emmett Till did not make it out of Mississippi alive, and when his broken body returned to Chicago, his mother decided to share his story with the world. Mike Wiley now does the same, 60 years later.
According to Susan Mead, assistant professor of Sociology at Ferrum College and Sunday school teacher at St. Peter’s-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church Callaway, VA commented that Mike Wiley captivated the teens and adults who saw him perform another of his shows this summer at an international church seminar on civil rights. “Watching Mike portray both the victims and the perpetrators, as well as the witnesses and others affected by tragedy for decades, allowed us to immerse ourselves in the complex moments of that time and place, and propelled us to think about how his portrayal reflects issues in our lives today,” Mead remarked.
The November 8 performance is a collective effort between Mike Wiley Productions, the Harvester Performance Center, community organizations, and many groups at Ferrum College who are teaming up to provide funding so that 3:00 p.m., Sunday afternoon event is free and open to the public.
Mead said that she and the young people who saw Wiley this summer are hoping to share his incredible talent with at least 250 community members, college students, as well as a big crowd of Mike’s nearby friends and family.
“Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till,” is a story we should never forget, and Mike’s performance is certainly one that we never will.”
For additional information, contact Susan Mead at (540) 267-5678 or at smead@ferrum.edu.
