Miss Evers' Boys

The Miss Evers's Boys play by the Theater Arts department was well worth the price. The event felt very formal and professional and I enjoyed the performances by Mary Miller (Eunice Evers) and the story of the 4 men in the cast.

Though when I arrived at the theater and received a program with detailed background on the story, I decided not to read any of it until I saw the play. In this way I was able to judge the performances and accuracy of the story without predetermined expectations. I initially had no idea that the story of Miss Evers would be a tragic one. I expected some form of drama, and perhaps even a betrayal, but I didn't think anyone would actually die. Seeing the end play out without knowing what would happened helped me grasp the full effect of the play.

Attending this also opened my eyes to another aspect of racism that afflicted the black race in the 20th century. I had no idea that social Darwinism affected blacks and pioneered racial supremacy like it did with the Jews in Germany. It was interesting to watch the perspectives of doctors and nurses trying to find out the differences between blacks and whites in terms of how syphilis and disease affects us all. In the end, the play ended up being much more than a theatrical performance for me but a revelation of a less popular, however just as significant, aspect of racism and black struggles.

Looking back, it seems like a short play now that I can probably summarize it in only a few paragraphs. The play, however, lasted almost 2.5 hours. Throughout it, I loved the energy the actors and actress put into their work, especially when Miss Evers's character spoke to the audience, or the "senate" as she would put it, about the plot and explained or say some things that can't be deduced from scenes. I hope to see more performances by the theater arts department as I enjoyed this play with great delight.