Auditions Aug. 30 for civil rights play 'I Rise' at FSCC

A reader's theatre production titled "I Rise" will be a feature of the four-day 4th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration of Culture and Diversity, scheduled for Oct. 3-6 at Fort Scott Community College.

The production will be directed by Fort Scott High School speech and theatre instructor Patty LaRoche, Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity Executive Director Jill Warford said in a written statement.

Auditions will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at the Gordon Parks Center inside the FSCC Academic Building on the college's main campus at 2108 S. Horton St. Casting for more than 19 speaking roles is open to the public. LaRoche said she encourages high school and college students, as well as members of the community, to audition for roles. Reading scripts will be available at the auditions, the FSCC statement said.

The play, which was compiled and edited by Alabama State University professor Richard Emanuel, documents the pivotal people, places and events that shaped the American civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. The production is a tapestry of historical facts, poetic expressions, songs and personal testimonies that, together, illustrate the commitment and sacrifice that many people have made for civil rights.

According to Warford, the play will be performed on Thursday evening, Oct. 4, at an as-yet undetermined location in Fort Scott. There may also be sections of the play performed for students during daytime hours, she said in the statement.

"'I Rise' is a wonderful script and I know people will enjoy it," she said. "It is a great overview of the civil rights movement and how it began. It fits with the celebration well, because Gordon Parks was so heavily involved in chronicling civil rights through his photographs."

For more information, contact Warford at (620) 223-2700, extension 515, or e-mail her at jillw@fortscott.edu.