Warriors Don't Cry

Warriors Don’t Cry, a one woman show, is is based on Dr. Melba Pattillo Beal’s memoir. She was part of the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African American students that attended Central High School in 1957, when it was only a white student body. However, the Little Rock Crisis soon followed, and in September, Melba and her fellow black students were prevented from attending the school by Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus. She was 16 during the time of the Crisis, and throughout the play, she is followed from adolescence into adulthood. 

During her time spent as one of the first black students to enter Central High School, Malba was bullied not only by her peers, but by their parents, was threatened with murder, attacked with explosive sticks of dynamite, and was even injured by getting acid sprayed in her eyes. Yes, despite all of the physical and mental trauma she faced, Melba refused to leave the school.

The Play is written by Zita Christian and Scott Galbraith. It first premiered in The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and was produced in New York City as well as throughout England. The play quickly became popular, and toured nationwide from 2012 until 2013.