Crystal Mercer and Students at BCS
One Ninth
Friday, January 22, 2010 8:30pm
Written by Spirit Trickey
A powerful exploration of human dignity and racial conflict as seen through the eyes of teenagers, ONE NINTH features the story of the playwright’s mother, Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the students from The Little Rock Nine who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
This special excerpt performance of ONE NINTH was first performed in July 2009 for the Expeditionary Learning Schools Teacher Conference in Little Rock, AR. It was a segue into the grand auditorium space inside the historic Little Rock Central High School during a walking tour of the area. Crystal C. Mercer played the role of Minnijean Brown in the world premiere educational tour with Arkansas Repertory Theatre. The tour traveled to ten (10) high schools around the state of Arkansas. In addition to the performances, the original acting company facilitated workshops on the history of the 1957 Little Rock Central High School Crisis, diversity, and theatre arts. Mercer’s father is legendary civil rights attorney Christopher C. Mercer Jr., who served as the Field Secretary for the Little Rock chapter of the NAACP during the 1957 Crisis. Mercer, and playwright Spirit Trickey, are “keepers of the story”, a phrase Minnijean Brown Trickey, member of the Little Rock Nine, coined to describe their ongoing commitment to preserving the legacy of their parents.
About Spirit Trickey (Playwright)
Spirit is the playwright of ONE NINTH and recently created an independent documentary called “Mixed Messages” about the experiences of people with black and white heritages. She was born in Ontario, Canada, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a BA in Radio, Television & Film and Journalism. She is currently earning her Master’s at the Clinton School of Public Service. Spirit is a park ranger at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, which recently commemorated the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School by the Little Rock Nine. Spirit’s mother is Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine.
Presented by IRT’s Theater for Young Audience Program