Research: Warriors Don’t Cry

Warriors Don’t Cry

The play Warriors Don’t Cry is based on the same-titled book written by Melba Pattillo Beals. She is the narrator as well as one of the characters in the play. She is one of the earliest members of the black students who attended in white school. The whole play is set in Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during 1957.

The play talks about the real experiences of Melba goes to Central high School with other eight black students. They are known as the “Little Rock Nine” in the play. They faced many racism problems during their first year in the Central High school. The play focuses on these problems, such as they were treated with strict rules in the school, as well as they were threatened by white mobs. During the play, there were bullying, hate speech, and strong language used. The play wants to show about how people fight for their own right against bigger power, which is the society and the government. The main character Melba Patillo Beals uses her own experience to bring audiences back to the 1950s and see the fights against racism from her sights.

Furthermore, the Bushnell center which produced the show is named by Horace Bushnell, who was Yale-educated minister and theologian. It has large that can contain around 400 people. I am very curious about how the lights will work in the theater. How many lights will they use in the play? How will they design the scenes? I hope I will learn lighting techniques from the theater and used them in the winter musical.