The story of Emmett Till is a unique and shocking tale of a 14-year-old who was brutally murdered in Mississippi during the segregation era.

The story was adapted by Kevin Wilson, Jr. into the play titled “Mississippi Mourning: The Emmett Till Story.”

The play was presented in Harrison Auditorium on Friday, and starred Tony Patridge as Emmett Till and Mr. A&T Austin James as uncle Mose Wright.

It was produced by Wilson and Ryan Maltese and presented in association with the Beta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

The play began with the characters of Till, Simeon Wright (Till’s cousin played by Rahsheem Shabazz), Wheeler Parker Jr. (played by Brennan C. Ray) and Curtis Jones (played by Christopher Mayo) running through the auditorium away from two white men after Till’s encounter whistling at a white girl.

His mother, Mamie Till (played by Victoria Morgan), comes onstage and reflects on her son and her decision to let him leave the secure north to stay with family in Mississippi. Patridge said he prepared for the role of Emmett Till by constantly going over the script and putting himself in character.

“I had to imagine being back in 1955 and think like Emmett Till. It is very surreal because I have to imagine myself in a place where blacks were not treated as equals,” Patridge said.

“On top of that I have to get beat in the play and get pushed around.”

Throughout the play there were both comical moments such as the conversations between Till and his cousins, intense moments such as the wrongful death of his father, Louis Till (played by Gregory Hill), and a powerful scene at the end where Till’s family reflect on the circumstances of his death.

A standout  in this scene is James, who strongly conveys the emotions of losing a nephew and dealing with feeling that  he is to blame for opening the door when two white men were looking for Till.  

The differences between the north and the south were a reoccurring theme throughout the play.

Emmett tries to bring a picture of a white friend of his to Mississippi and is quickly reprimanded by his cousins, who explain that he could be lynched just because he thinks of white women in that way.

Morgan effectively played the part of Till’s mother and used powerful narratives giving her view on her son’s situation and his trip to the segregated south with such a naïve mind.

After being pressed by Emmett to go to the south, she hesitantly agrees to let him go. 

The play also included a graphic scene which depicted Till’s brutal beating and murder by two white men.

Jeremy Walden, who plays J. W. Milam, had to play a controversial role as the white man who shoots Emmett Till with no remorse.

“I play a truck driver from Money, Mississippi who is the stepbrother of Roy, who accompanied J.W. in the killing of Till,” said Walden.

Wilson recalled his trials and tribulations in making the play.

“People do not want this play to be successful; they never have even from the beginning,” Wilson said.

“But we will press forward regardless of what they think about us. We are performers and we will do whatever it takes to put on a good show.”

The play will be going on tour  later this year, performing at North Carolina Central University  in Durham and will hopefully perform in New York.

• LaPorsha Lowry & Chelsea King