ST. LOUIS TROUPE TO PRESENT 'KING, A MAN AND HIS DREAM'

ST. LOUIS -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is a reminder of the impact his leadership had on the American Civil Rights movement. "King, a Man and His Dream" is that as well but also examines his younger life "How he got to become the man he was," says Rob Grumich.

Grumich is an educational specialist for the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, whose touring group will perform the King play at noon Wednesday at Academic Auditorium. The Common Hour presentation is free and open to the public.

Using a minimal set, the six actors and actresses will portray King's whole life, from birth to his assassination in 1968 in Memphis.

"Many of us know about the marches he led," Grumich said. "This show the development, how he got to his beliefs."

Negro spirituals and songs from the Civil Rights movement are used in the production.

The St. Louis Black Rep will present the popular King play about 50 times this year for students ranging from elementary to college. The play recently was staged in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is scheduled to be performed at Central Missouri State University soon.

The cast consists of members of the St. Louis Black Rep's professional intern company. They perform in all the organization's touring shows.

Ron Himes, who remains the company's producing director, founded the St. Louis Black Rep 23 years ago at Washington University. The company now has a full-time staff of 10 and a seasonal staff of more than 50, including actors, technical and administrative workers.

The St. Louis Black Rep has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and venues across the U.S. For the past seven years it has been based at the historic 471-seat Grandel Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District.

Himes directed "King, a Man and His Dream," with Grumich serving as assistant director.

The company has six educational touring plays and has produced such shows as "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Bubblin' Brown Sugar," "Eubie," "The Wiz" and "The Tap Dance Kid" at its home theater.

"King, a Man and His Dream" is being presented by the university's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee as a Black History Month event.

"This is the end of the celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the beginning of the campus-wide celebration for Black History Month," said Tiffany Ford, who is coordinating the event.