PicksInSix Review: Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till-Collaboraction Theatre Company
A Moving Reenactment of Historic Injustice.
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner
For fifty years, the transcript from the 1955 trial of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant in the murder of Emmett Till remained hidden. The details of the actual courtroom proceedings, while deeply impactful in their effect, stayed behind closed courtroom doors in Sumner, Mississippi. For fifty years, then, very few people knew of all that was said and unsaid in the trial that resulted in a jury of all White men acquitting two White defendants for the heinous crimes they later confessed to in a magazine article.
Now, thanks to Collaboraction Theatre Company and The Dusable Black History Museum and Education Center, people can experience first-hand what occurred in that courtroom in 1955 by attending “Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till.” This live, fully-produced stage production is adapted entirely from the actual transcript and evokes powerful reflection through a precise reenactment using only the same words spoken during the trial.
Prior to the current staged production, “Trial in the Delta” premiered in February 2022 as a teleplay and part of a larger NBC5 Chicago Anchor Marion Brooks’ investigative series on Emmett Till. Brooks, after finding the transcript online through her research, asked Collaboraction to create and film a staged reading, and the co-production went on to win a 2022 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award.
For this year’s fully immersive experience, Collaboraction commissioned Chicago playwrights G. Riley MIlls and Willie Round to adapt 354 pages of transcript into a 90-page, two-hour run time, theatrical reenactment. Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley and Company Member Dana Anderson co-directed the production.
“Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till” shines brightest in its immersive efforts. Witnesses sit among the audience and take their time when called to stand. They approached both carefully and carelessly with demeanors matching the stark contrast between the White and Black people in the courtroom. White defendants, J.W. Milam (Matt Miles) and Roy Bryant (Tyler Burke), sat slouched in their chairs, shirts unbuttoned, often looking back into the audience with smirks and sneering commentary while their attorney muddied the prosecution’s case with great, callous spectacle. Lax and loose, they showed no shame, no remorse and no fear of consequences for their actions.
Then, stage left, you see Emmet Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Bradly (Kayla Franklin) sitting tall and poised. She’s dressed sharp, polished and elegant and exudes an unshakable confidence and commitment to her truth and her love for her son during her testimony. You experience the resounding courage of Emmett Till’s uncle, Mose Wright (Darren Jones), who, when asked to identify the men who took Emmett from his home, pointed to the defendants in the courtroom. Following the actual trial in 1955, Mose Wright fled Mississippi.
The stakes are entirely different between the prosecution and the defendant’s witnesses. We’re talking literal life and death. Sitting and observing this unfold as a courtroom spectator left a searing impression. It also left a sinking feeling in the gut especially when the defense’s strategy highlighted persistent, harmful tactics still utilized in the ongoing racial injustices transpiring all over this country. The defense intentionally mischaracterized fourteen-year-old Emmett Till as a man when he was just a boy. The defense’s closing argument capitalized on fear to convince the jury that no one would be safe from baseless accusations if the jury convicted those two men. The elephant in the room quickly became the palpable question of just how far have we really come since this 1955 trial?
Overall, the words from the transcript and the actors’ solid delivery of them carried great power. The minimal set worked well but the large screen behind the courtroom was underutilized. More statements could have been cast on that screen to punctuate the witness’ testimony. A real highlight that must be mentioned is the conversation that follows each performance allowing for the audience to hold the story collectively, in community, and to discuss choices we can make as those inheriting this story.
It was during this conversation, prompted by the illuminating performance preceding it, that a call to action was made – to stop this history from continuing to repeat itself. “Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till” offers the unique opportunity to experience our history and really sit with it. Those fortunate enough to attend will not soon forget.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | KAITLYN LINSNER is a Chicago-based attorney practicing construction and surety law.
PHOTO | Joel Maisonet
Collaboraction Theatre Company and
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
(773) 947-0600
COLLABORACTION WEBSITE
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