This semester, Midway Honors student Daniel Parker will be directing “The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” as part of his senior thesis project.
The play was created for the opening of the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama in 1992. This play was first performed as a one act piece by students at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama.
However, in 2018, the play was updated and expanded to a full-length play as part of the Research Development Committee, Small Grant Award from East Tennessee State University. This allowed research to take place in Washington, DC. ETSU professor Bobby Funk wrote this play, and it was his fourth oral history play in his career.
“The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” was created from written and oral histories of women and men who took part in the American Civil Rights Movement.
Daniel Parker held auditions for parts of the play in late October of 2022. Auditions were held in the ETSU Campus Center Building. While there are only nine parts plus a chorus in the play, the diverse cast plays a total of 139 characters during the duration of the play.
“The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” opens with an old African American spiritual hymn “I Been Buked, and I Been Scorned.” While there are only a few songs within the play, the use of hymns can show what an impact racism has had on the characters and the history of the United States.
Bobby Funk reaches out to send thanks to The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance and the ETSU School of Arts and Sciences in the creation and success of this play.
To keep up with the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance and when the production of “The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” will occur this semester, check them out at https://www.etsu.edu/cas/theatre/.
