By Zack Frink

A classic play about a civil rights icon is getting a local adaptation. “The Face of Emmett Till” will premier in Xenia, Ohio, as a collaboration between the Xenia Area Community Theater (X*ACT) and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Show dates are Feb. 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. at X*ACT, 45 E. Second St., Xenia, Ohio.

“The Face of Emmett Till” focuses on Till’s tragic death in 1955 at age 14 and how his death was a catalyst for the civil rights movement. The play also shines a light on Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and how she left her mark on history through her lesser-known story.

David Barr III, a distinguished playwright, co-wrote the play with Till-Mobley in 1999. Joyce Barnes, an associate professor of English at Sinclair Community College, is the director.

Here’s the historical context to Till’s story: After allegedly whistling at a white woman, Till was tortured beyond recognition, shot in the head and thrown into a river while his body was tied with barbed wire to a cotton gin fan. Till-Mobley left the casket open at Till’s funeral because she wanted the world to know what happened to her son.

The white woman later admitted in 2017 that her encounter with Till was a lie.

Approximately 25 actors plus 10 staff members are making this play possible, “a unique challenge for all involved,” Barnes noted. The play begins in 1989 at the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Alabama, goes back to 1955 Chicago and Mississippi and then returns to the Memorial Center in 1989.

“Cast members have to ‘keep Emmett alive,’ until he isn't anymore,” said Barnes. “Then they have to grieve openly onstage. They must age nearly 30 years, not so much in appearance, but emotionally by healing from the tragedy and coming together in love and hope.”

If anything, Barnes hopes the play strikes a hopeful tone with audiences. “This is a story about our common humanity, resilience, reconciliation, and the power of community,” she said.

Purchase tickets on X*ACT’s website or call 937-372-0516. Attendees will also receive a special program insert in the form of an essay written exclusively for the production by Barr. An opening night gala will feature a selection by local musician Marceia Cornwell, and a pop-up exhibit curated by the National Afro-American Museum will be on display through the run of the play.

Doors open one hour before each performance to give attendees an opportunity to view X*ACT’s cultural arts, including the National Afro-American Museum’s exhibit containing additional historical facts about Emmett Till.