FRIDAY, FEBUARY 28th @ 7PM
Changing Same:
The Cold-Blooded Murder of Booker T. Spicely
By Mike Wiley & Howard L. Craft
Performed By Mike Wiley & musician Corbie Hill
Directed By Joseph Megel
“Local theater auteur Mike Wiley’s latest solo work is based on the true 1944 Durham event. The play examines the racial tensions still found in Durham, the region, and the nation today. In addition, the play reminds contemporary audiences of the vibrant Hayti neighborhood and thriving Black businesses and community that have sustained Durham. Mike Wiley and Howard L. Craft co-wrote the script. Contributing to the atmosphere is local musician Corbie Hill, providing original live music to accompany the show.
The play was commissioned by the Booker T. Spicely Committee, with funding from Duke Energy, to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of Booker T. Spicely’s murder. Committee Chair James E. Williams Jr., explains, “The Spicely Committee believed this tragic killing, rooted in white supremacy, was one that had relevance and resonance to our current situation. We wanted to bring it to the community in more ways than a panel discussion or written articles. We wanted someone steeped in the arts, culture, and history. Mike Wiley was a no-brainer. We are thrilled that he said yes.”
Wiley responds, “It is high time we tell the full story behind the killing of Private Spicely and the community’s collective outrage and reaction to his murder. Changing Same is a one-man drama told from multiple perspectives in the Summer of 1944. How could we be a country crying out for victory abroad, yet silencing its Black citizens at home?”
Originally produced by StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance and the Process Series in collaboration with America’s Hallowed Ground at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. “