Chicago History Museum to Host Free Performance of THE MLK PROJECT, 1/19

Writers Theatre opens its 9th annual tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights, written by Yolanda Androzzo, directed by Jimmy McDermott and featuring Caren Blackmore. A special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day public performance will take place at 10:30am on January 19 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark Street in Chicago. The kickoff event also includes a post-show community discussion. The event is free and open to the public, and audience members will also receive free museum admission for the remainder of the day.

Weaving together poetry, hip hop and history, The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is a one-woman show that follows Chicago student Alaya's personal transformation through studying the Civil Rights Movement. Alaya uses her fists as an outlet for anger. After interviewing local heroes of the Movement, she discovers she can put "anger into action" and that her power is in her voice and her hip hop, not violence.

Seen by more than 48,000 students, this dynamic, cross-cultural, multi-media performance interlaces personal interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights activists, featuring both celebrated and unsung heroes of the Movement, such as Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles, Founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Puerto Rican poet and activist David Hernandez, among others.

The 2015 production will tour to more than 40 venues during its 6-week run, including Chicago Public Schools, community centers, and juvenile detention centers. All performances include a post-show discussion and study guides with wrap-around curriculum. The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights will also play at the Chicago Children's Theatre, January 24-February 6, 2015, as part of the new Later Stages series for kids ages 8 and up. For more information or tickets for the production at the Chicago Children's Theatre, chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (872) 222-9555.