COLUMBIA, MO: “Every 28 Hours Plays Counts Down Until the Last Minute”

The cast of the “Every 28 Hours Plays”, which includes a number of authors who wrote this series, made their presence boldly well-known this past weekend at the Rhysburger Theatre at the University of Missouri. Director Claire Syler depicted these intense, real stories in the most simplistic and fluid methods. From choosing an amazing cast to tell the stories of those who have struggled with racism and bigotry to the ever-changing backgrounds (Xiomara Cornejo) that bring you right into the scene, the audience is brought into the world that was created after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri of August of 2014.

The plays began with the cast members marching on stage as if to say, “Here I am, this is me. Take it or leave it.”. The actors are solemn, their faces so serious that it seems as though they’re wiser beyond their years. Their initial facial expressions and body language let the audience know that we here to learn lessons involving history and everyday struggles that African Americans and other minority groups face every single day. Amanda Maria Paz Herrera’s facial expressions spoke to me in a way that I never knew they could. When she spoke in “My Son” by Larissa FastHorse, I could feel the pain that was etched across her face as she described what it was like to lose her son. It was the depth of emotion in her eyes that I honestly felt her pain and anger. Paz-Herrera portrayed the role of a heartbroken and devastated mother as if she was truly living it.

Dramaturg, Kaylin Jones, does a fantastic job of explaining the whirlpool issues and emotions experienced first-hand in this in the playbill, “They ask us to be aware of our community and the souls that make it up. The plays draw attention to issues of past, present and, undoubtedly and unfortunately, the future.”. This stuck out to me in one of the plays, “News Flash” by Marty K. Casey. In this play, three friends that live in different areas of the metropolitan area of St. Louis hear of the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the distress of it all. Jane (Caroline Apel), Trish (Zahria Moore) and Mariyah (DaJah Garrett) are the three characters in this show. When Jane makes it a point to say that Mariyah lives in the north side of St. Louis and that such chaos would never happen in her neighborhood, Trish replies with, “Look, we’re all friends. I live on the Southside, and you live on the Westside but we’re all from St. Louis.”. This struck something in me. I am a native St. Louisian, and her comment brought me back to the fall of 2014 when I was a senior in high school and hearing of this for the first time. I went to a fairly diversified high school, so not only was this occurring in Ferguson, but it was affecting all of us, as it is our city that was experiencing this heartache.

The “Every 28 Hours Plays” may be short, but they are sharp and to the point. This show does an incredible job of spreading a message of community. In order to change, we must all be the change. If you are looking to get educated and become a part of something bigger than yourself, then come see these plays and get involved. I know I will.