INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ball State University English faculty Angela Jackson-Brown and Peter Davis collaborated to bring a piece of history to life in the play “Dear Bobby: The Musical” that will premiere at the IndyFringe Basil Theatre (719 E St. Clair Street, Indianapolis, IN) on March 22.
The production serves to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bobby Kennedy’s visit to Indianapolis on April 4, 1968: the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. The play is part of this year’s OnyxFest, Indianapolis’ first and only theater festival dedicated to the stories of African American playwrights.
Dear Bobby is directed by Deborah Asante, a storytelling and performance artist based in Indianapolis, and will be performed by Asante Children’s Theatre of Indianapolis. Jackson-Brown wrote the book and lyrics and Davis wrote the music.
They were commissioned by the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative through a Heritage Support Grant provided by the Indiana Historical Society and made possible by Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Dear Bobby centers two teen girls – one black, one Jewish — anticipating the arrival of Bobby Kennedy to Indianapolis, where he was scheduled to make a routine campaign stop. Kennedy started the day with a speech at Ball State University, where he spoke to a crowd of more than 10,000.
“Unfortunately, Bobby Kennedy’s visit to Indianapolis is marred by the fact that he is left with the sad yet necessary task of telling the Indianapolis crowd that Dr. King has been assassinated,” said Jackson-Brown. “The night started out as just one of many campaign stops for Bobby Kennedy in his quest to become the next President of the United States, but ultimately, it ended up being one of the most powerful events of his career.
“The play strives to illustrate how people from different backgrounds and even beliefs were able to unite together that night in their grief and their desire to stand strong, even as they faced yet another tragic death of a national leader like Dr. King,” said Jackson-Brown.
For ticket information, click here.
Dates:
Thursday Mar 22nd, 7:00PM
Saturday Mar 24th, 5:00PM
Sunday Mar 25th, 5:00PM
Thursday Mar 29th, 7:00PM
Friday Mar 30th, 7:30PM
Saturday Mar 31st, 5:00PM
