Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE-The University of Wisconsin-Platteville commemorated Martin Luther King Day by hosting a performance of Barry Scott's one man show, "Ain't Got Long to Stay Here," on Jan. 19 at the Center for the Arts.

The show features a compilation of King's speeches and letters, along with Scott's portrayal of other notable figures of the Civil Rights era, all against one simple backdrop. Occasional on-stage wardrobe changes and a dramatic musical score combine to evoke a powerful image of a man struggling against racism and discrimination in the South in the 1960s.

Scott, award winning author and actor, is a graduate of Tennessee State University and is the founder and artistic director of the American Negro Playwright Theater in Nashville. He wrote the script chronicling King's life, and performs the show throughout the United States.

Every performance is followed by a discussion with the audience, and Scott begins every one with three questions: What do you think, feel, and believe?

The UWP audience seemed most interested in whether Scott thought Dr. King's dream for equality had come to pass.

"We have come a long way, but I would agree that we have a long way to go. People's hearts are changing, and that makes me hopeful. I think the main thing now is that we have to be able to have difficult conversations without attacking one other," he said.

Many people found something in the performance to take away and ponder. Roger Jones, a program analyst with the UWP Office of Information Technology, said "I was moved by all the different characters he played. I was impressed that he showed other opinions, and that helped me understand what was going on at the time."

April Fuhr, a sophomore majoring in education, said she was moved by the artistic expression Scott displayed in performing King. "It was one of the most moving pieces of theater I've ever seen, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to see it. I like the fact that I can watch and explore these ideas in a safe environment. I liked the fact that he encouraged us to have dialogue without anyone feeling angry or threatened," she said.

Some viewers, like Carl Wesley, a senior majoring in criminal justice with a minor in theater, said they had seen the show before, but wanted to see it again. Wesley also brought his three children and said it was important for kids to understand what Dr. King and his contemporaries went through. "That's the real reason I'm here tonight," he said, pointing to his daughter.

Even for generations born before the advent of e-mail and video games, the show is compelling. A large screen displays photos of some of the more dramatic moments of the Civil Rights movement - King in Washington for the "I Have a Dream" speech, the photos of four black children killed in a church bombing, beret-wearing Black Panthers looking militant. All of this is juxtaposed against the performance by Scott, wearing different clothes and sporting different accents, but always returning to the man shot in Memphis in 1968 for daring to dream.

"It was a rare opportunity for students to see and hear in the flesh a performance by a man who really has found a way to portray Dr. King as he thought and as he lived," said Rich Egley, assistant to the assistant chancellor for Student Affairs.

Carlos Wiley, director of the UW-Platteville Multicultural Educational Resource Center, which organized the event, said he plans to invite Scott back for future performances and encourages students, faculty, staff and community to attend and participate in this important experience of American drama and history.

Contact: Carlos Wiley, director, Multicultural Educational Resource Center, (608) 342-1555, wileyc@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Evelyn Martens, Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu