Portland Ovations Presents Warriors Don't Cry With NAACP-Portland

Portland Ovations in collaboration with NAACP-Portland presents Warriors Don't Cry, a powerful one-woman play inspired by the award-winning memoir of the same title by Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals at Hannaford Hall, USM Portland on Wednesday, January 18th at 7:30pm.

Warriors Don't Cry stars Almeria Campbell and recounts the courageous story of fifteen-year-old Melba, who endures violence and discrimination as she and eight other African-American students integrate Little Rock, Arkansas' Central High School. Melba and her fellow student-warriors - known as the Little Rock Nine - captured the world's attention in 1957 as they struggled and triumphed in pursuit of equal education. Themes of fear and courage, isolation and community, education, history, the family and the nation all come alive through Campbell's compelling portrayal of 21 characters.

A preview to the performance will take place during the NAACP's 31st AnnuAl Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Breakfast Celebration at the Holiday Inn By The Bay on January 16th. Ovations Offstage will present a Pre-Performance Lecture Struggles for Civil Rights: Local Stories on January 18th at 6:30 pm at Hannaford Hall, USM Portland. Students from King Middle School will discuss their expedition Small Acts of Courage: Memories of the Civil Rights Movement, a project that involves students learning and telling important stories of local citizens. Julia Adams, a member of the Portland String Quartet, will join the students to discuss her own experience during the Civil Rights Movement.

Tickets for Warriors Don't Cry are $23 for Ovations' Members, $25 for the general public and a limited amount of $10 student tickets are also available. To purchase tickets, contact PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.

About Portland Ovations
Each year since 1931, Portland Ovations brings a dynamic season of exceptional performing artists from around the world to Maine including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and Broadway national tours. In addition to live performances, Ovations brings the exhilaration of the performing arts out into our community with season-long educational and outreach activities known as Ovations Offstage. A Maine-based non-profit, Portland Ovations contributes to the cultural, social and economic well-being of our community by presenting an array of high quality performing artists from around the world and creating diverse educational experiences that bring the enjoyment, energy and enrichment of the arts to all.

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