I was recently taken on quite the experience while once again attending a show at the Guthrie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis. Last week was preview week for the newest show The Parchman Hour, written by Mike Wiley and directed by Patricia McGregor. I went into this show not knowing what to expect, other than to hear a story about The Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. I did hear this story, but I heard a lot more than that.
The show centers around a group of Freedom Riders who are arrested and sent to Parchman Farm Penitentiary. There they were imprisoned for 39 days while protesting segregation across the country. According to Ashley Lucas, director of the Prison Creative Arts Project at the University of Michigan, “... the Mississippi State Penitentiary, also known as Parchman Farm, has had a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most dangerous prisons in the United States.”
This is something that I never learned about in school. I knew that people like the Freedom Riders went to prison for their protests, but I didn’t realize how violent things could get and did get, in the case of Parchman prison. It’s a dark side of U.S. history that conveniently got swept under the rug.
I thought that this show was going to be just a play. But a central part of this show is the music being performed by the ensemble of musicians as well as the actors themselves. The music is a product of the times, reminiscent of spirituals sung during the Civil Rights Movement to bring people together for a common cause. The Guthrie is not typically known for musical theater, but wow. This show brought down the house. One of my absolute favorite vocalists was Zonya Love. Her voice is soulful, powerful, and she has quite the range to boot. I had goosebumps through each of her performances, especially the solos she had. It felt like she put her entire self into delivering this music. It was an absolute treat to listen to her. To get a small taste of what I heard, you can listen to the video below.
I loved the cinematic element of this show too. Instead of switching sets to show a change in location, a change of scenery was shown by projecting images from 1960s Alabama, Mississippi, and Washington D.C. I loved that they were able to project mugshots of the Freedom Riders after they were arrested for protesting. This was a constant reminder that this show isn’t just actors on a stage; it’s actual people too. People who put their lives in danger to make sure that people of color had the same rights and privileges as those with white skin.
Perhaps the most moving part of the show was when they connected this part of American history to the present. I really appreciate that the message of the show was that the Freedom Riders were part of this very important work and social change, but our work isn’t done. When the actors lined up on stage and named the names of those who have been killed at the hands of police violence, I was in tears. To hear, “Philando Castille, St. Paul Public Schools” and “Sandra Bland, activist” was a reminder that these were actual people. Since they’re no longer here to fight with us, we should fight and bring change for their sake. No one deserves a fate like what they have suffered. Our work won't be complete until all people can feel safe in their own neighborhoods and until all lives stand a chance to lead successful lives.
This was an incredible show and I feel like my heart and soul swell at even the memory of this show and every time I tell someone about this show.
The Parchman Hour will be running on the McGuire Proscenium stage at the Guthrie through November 6th.
