A SONG FOR CORETTA
by Pearl Cleage.
ABOUT THE PLAY
On February 6, 2006, people began lining up at dawn outside of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay their respects to the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose body lay in state in the small sanctuary. By mid-morning, the crowd wound down the street and around the corner of the old red brick building. At close to midnight, the crowd had dwindled to a determined few. The five fictional characters in this play are at the end of that long line.
A Song for Coretta is a sharp, funny play featuring Helen, a stuffy, old guard Civil Rights activist; Mona Lisa, a jovial but canny artist and Hurricane Katrina survivor; Zora, an enthusiastic Spelman student; Gwen, a U.S. soldier on leave from the war in Iraq, and Keisha, aka "Li'l Bit," a hilariously brash and uncouth high schooler.
When the play opened at Spelman College in Atlanta in February 2007, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described it as “a warm and infectious comedy that brims with wit, personality, and life-affirming energy. Pearl Cleage has created a joyful and affectionate tribute to one of the great women of our time.”
During Mrs. King’s funeral service, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin referenced King’s training as a singer. “The last stanza and the highest note of Coretta King’s freedom song remains to be sung. She’s gathered us here today from all walks of life and all persuasions to lift our voices in songs of freedom, equality, social and economic justice.”
Agape Theatre Troupe’s production aims to help define the reality of this somber moment in history with enormous respect for the subject matter, clarity and accuracy. “She’s not a real saint, but she’s the closest thing we’ve got,” exclaims one character, describing Mrs. King. Walk into this play feeling you’re a lonely sinner, and you just might waltz out humming a saintly song for Coretta, ready to take on the world.
Lexington Opera House on Saturday, January 28
at 2:00 and 7:30 PM 2012
Agape Theatre Troupe
Inspired by the long line of mourners at Ebenezer Baptist Church paying their respects to Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Pearl Cleage's play introduces five fictional African American women who find laughter and hope while waiting in the rain to say good-bye.
