Speakers Announced for SCOTTSBORO BOYS Events

Cook County State's Attorney candidate Kim Foxx, Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council Lanetta Haynes Turner, Chicago Sun-Times theatre critic Hedy Weiss, Juvenile Justice Initiative Executive Director ElizabetH Clarke and Mothers Against Wrongful Convictions CEO Veronica Williams will lead a series of post-show discussions following performances of the award-winning Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys in its encore engagement at Raven Theatre this summer. In announcing the lineup today, Raven Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Michael Menendian said "we are so honored to welcome these guests who can share with our audiences their expert perspectives on contemporary justice issues, along with Hedy Weiss, who was a champion of the play and its importance when we first produced it last fall. While this play concerns a landmark civil rights case from the 1930s, recent events are leading us all to ask how we can complete the journey to a more just society. Ms. Foxx, Ms. Turner, Ms. Clarke and Ms. Williams, who are all on the front lines of this issue, are certain to provide insights on where we stand and where we have yet to go in order to achieve full justice for all."

Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys tells the true story of one of the most significant legal cases in America's criminal justice history. Nine African-American teenagers in 1931 were falsely accused of assaulting two white Alabama women and spent decades in the legal system fighting for their lives. Following hearings before the Supreme Courts of Alabama and the United States, new precedents were set guaranteeing competent legal representation and non-discrimination in juror roles. Mark Stein's play with music and dance, originally produced at Raven Theatre last fall, is a satirical retelling of the events surrounding the case. It features an all-African-American cast of six men and three women playing multiple roles. The production, directed by Michael Menendian, earned rave reviews, four Jeff Award nominations (winning one for Best Ensemble) and became one of the company's best-selling productions in its history.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND GUESTS

Sunday, July 24 (following the 3 pm matinee)

Hedy Weiss, Theater and Dance Critic, Chicago Sun-Times, will interview the cast and director and take questions from the audience.

Sunday, August 14 (following the 3 pm matinee)

Kim Foxx, Candidate for Cook County State's Attorney

Lanetta Haynes Turner, Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council

Moderated by ElizabetH Clarke, Executive Director Juvenile Justice Initiative

Saturday, August 27 (following the 7:30 pm performance)

ElizabetH Clarke, Executive Director Juvenile Justice Initiative

Veronica Williams, CEO, Mothers Against Wrongful Convictions

Admission to the post-show discussions is free and open to all, subject to availability. Regular ticket prices and reservation procedures apply to the performances.

Not to be confused with the musical The Scottsboro Boys, which ran on Broadway in late 2010, Direct from Death Row The Scottsboro Boys is a play by Mark Stein with songs by Harley White Jr. that premiered at River Stage in Sacramento, California and enjoyed a subsequent production at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles in fall of 2002. Raven Theatre's original production, directed by Michael Menendian, ran from September 16 - November 14, 2015.

Previews for the return engagement will be Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 with the press opening Saturday, July 23. The regular run will beJuly 23 - August 27, 2016. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, January 25 and may be purchased online at www.raventheatre.com or by phone at 773-338-2177. The production is a separate offering from the company's 2016-17 season, which will begin in September with the first Chicago production of Lolita Chakrabarti's Red Velvet.

Raven Theatre is located at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. There are a limited number of free parking spaces available in the parking lot adjacent to the theatre, and free on-street parking is available nearby.

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