Collaboraction and The DuSable Museum of African American History are partnering to present Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Tillthe first-ever stage adaptation of the actual, recently unearthed 1955 trial transcript of the two men found not guilty of murdering Emmett Till.
The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m. at The DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. The Sunday matinee will be preceded by a free Community Day gathering starting at 2 p.m.
Trial in the Delta will be staged as an immersive reenactment of what actually occurred in that 1955 rural Mississippi courtroom, the site of one of the most monumental injustices of the U.S. legal system in the 20th century. The trial will be brought to vivid life through docudrama style, with the audience co-mingled "in the courtroom" alongside actors portraying Emmett Till's mother, other family members, and witnesses for the defense and prosecution.
Trial in the Delta runs two hours and will be followed by a conversation with the audience. This event is recommended for ages 12 and older. The Feb. 26 performance will be filmed with multiple cameras for a corresponding video project.
Tickets, on sale now at collaboraction.org, are $45 for general admission; $25 for CollaborActivists and DuSable Museum members; and $15 each for youth, educators, seniors, artists, activists and low-income individuals (with proof required).
Note: COVID-19 safety precautions will be in effect, per city and state mandates.