GREENWOOD 1964 to be Presented at Greenway Court Theatre in June
Performances will begin on June 6.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz May. 13, 2025
Greenwood 1964, written by Mohammed Ali Ojarigi and directed by Iona Morris Jackson, will be presented at Greenway Court Theatre.
WHEN: Preview on Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Opens on Saturday, June 7 at 8:00 p.m. Also, Sunday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 19 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, June 28at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Greenwood 1964 is a gripping and resonant theatrical experience that thrusts audiences into the heart of the Civil Rights Movement during the pivotal summer of 1964. Set against the backdrop of Mississippi's charged racial landscape, the play follows cultural icons Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte as they risk everything to uplift grassroots voices in the fight for voting rights. They race to stay one step ahead of the Klan, as they head towards a rendezvous with activist Fannie Lou Hamer. Their journey becomes a powerful testament to courage, solidarity, and the relentless pursuit of justice. More than a historical reenactment, Greenwood 1964 strikes a chord with today's struggles, drawing urgent parallels between past and present. At its soul, it's a call to action, a stirring reminder that progress demands unity, empathy, and the unwavering will to create a more inclusive America.
The cast includes Lodric C. Collins (Tyler Perry's The Oval), as Harry Belafonte, Newton Mayenge (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty( as Sidney Poitier, and Joy DeMichelle (Grey's Anatomy) as Fannie Lou Hamer.
Mohamed Ali Ojarigi is the playwright. His previous plays include Guardin' Roots and Your Land (which won an NAACP Theatre Award and has been adapted into a film on Amazon Prime). He currently serves as the Producing Director of Greenway Court Theatre. He founded and previously served as the artistic director of MOments Playhouse. He is also an actor. The Minneapolis native is a graduate of University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Iona Morris Jackson is the director of Greenwood 1964. She directed multiple episodes of the TV series Black-ish, receiving nominations for the Hollywood Critics Award and the NAACP Image Award. Her stage directing credits include Sassy Mamas (NAACP Theatre Award(, Broadway Under the Stars, Sheba, The Vagina Monologues, and solo shows for Jenifer Lewis, Blair Underwood, Kim Wayans, Tammi Mac, Michael Colyar, Penny Johnson Jerald, and more.
Dramaturg: Angela Farr Schiller. Stage manager: Lanae Wilks. Set design and lighting design: Jack James Lawson. Projection design: Nick Wass. Sound design: Malick Ceesay. Costume design: Wendell Carmichael. Co-founders/ Artistic Directors, Greenway Court Theatre: Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz.
Greenwood 1964 is based on a true event. Not a documentary, it is a dramatic imagining of how things happened in Mississippi at that tumultuous time. It is a celebration of three American heroes of the Civil Rights era, bravely facing deadly danger with courage and strength, as they championed what they knew was right.
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