A Louisiana high school became the subject of national debate and controversy in 2007 after six black students were accused of attempted murder after a high school fight.
The fight was prompted by rising tensions after students discovered nooses hanging from a tree on campus. PlaywrightDominique Morriseau takes on the complexities and tensions of the Jena Six case in her play “Blood at the Root,” now on stage at Raleigh Little Theatre. It tells the story of a student named Raylnn who one day decides to sit under a tree typically reserved for white students. Someone responds by hanging three nooses from the tree, and this sets up a chain of events that leads to her brother and other black students being charged with the attempted murder of a white classmate.
Host Frank Stasio previews the production with director Lormarev Jones and cast members Aysia Slade and Carl Staub. The play is on stage at Raleigh Little Theater from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 13.