Gesa Power House Theatre in Walla Walla will present Mike Wiley’s historical play Tired Souls: King and the Montgomery Bus Boycott on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. It’s brought to you in part by ArtsWA, Friends of the Theatre, Magnolia Healing Arts, Pacific Northwest Wine Competition and Elizabeth Fraser. The project is also supported in part by Creative West, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
On Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus, inspiring black citizens to boycott the Montgomery buses. There were others who came before her, and Tired Souls will introduce you to Jo Ann Robinson, Claudette Colvin and other heroes and heroines of the Civil Rights movement.
Acclaimed actor and playwright Wiley has spent the past decade bringing educational theatre to communities across the country. In the early days of his career, he found few theatrical resources shining light on African-American history, so he started his own production company. He has introduced countless audiences to the legacies of Emmett Till, Henry “Box” Brown and others.
Tickets start at $20 and are available online at phtww.org or by calling the box office at (509) 529-6500.