Mississippi Humanities Council Partners w/New Stage Theater to Bring Powerful Play, “Anne & Emmett,” Statewide

The Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC) is proud to announce its collaboration with New Stage Theater to bring the impactful play “Anne & Emmett” to schools across the state. This touring initiative is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and their United We Stand initiative.

Pictured: Molly McMillan- MHC Program Officer, Cast of Anne and Emmett, Far Right- John Spann, MHC Program Officer

The tour kicked off on November 28th, with the first performance at Forest Hill High School. Accompanying the cast, MHC program officers, Molly McMillan and John Spann, who led a post-performance discussion with students and cast members. “Anne & Emmett” is a one-hour play that brings together Anne Frank and Emmett Till in an imaginary conversation beyond the grave. The production explores the innocence of children thrust into the most horrific circumstances, shedding light on the cruelty and hatred that led to their tragic deaths.

Xerron Mingo, Education Director at New Stage Theater, emphasizes the timeliness and importance of sharing this narrative in schools. Mingo said, “I think ‘Anne & Emmett’ is something that needs to be told now and all the time. It’s a very effective learning tool to give students something to think about throughout the school year or moving forward. It introduces new work and live theater to folks, and I think that’s very important.”

When asked about his hopes for the audience, Mingo passionately expressed, “I want the students and teachers all to walk out of here with hope. I want them to always have hope, and I want them to remember why they want to be remembered.”

MHC program officer John Spann added, “At the Forest Hill High School performance, many of the students knew about Emmett Till and Anne Frank but after the performance, the understading of their stories increased substantially. For some of the students, it was their first time seeing a live play of this caliber, so they were not only intrigued by the similarities of Anne Frank and Emmett Till but also the intense preparation it took for the actors to deliver such a quality performance. We are very proud to partner with New Stage Theater to share this play with eager students across the state.”

Organizations interested in hosting “Anne & Emmett” in their community, middle school, or high school are encouraged to contact Betty Wong, New Stage Theater’s Education Coordinator, at bwong@newstagetheatre.com and visit Touring Productions | New Stage Theatre for more information.