THE ART
We are thrilled to be building an artistic space with community organizers.
The work of an artist and a community organizer have many parallels. Both are storytellers; organizers are telling the story of a world not yet born, a world that could be. Both are creative organizers. Both have the same responsibility to remind us that we can form a better world as soon as we are willing to take action.
About the play
Action
A new play by Colin McLaughlin
Directed by Kathryn Bentley
Action is a chronicle and celebration of Percy Green and his dedicated group of activists (Action Committee to Improve Opportunities for Negroes). In December of 1972, they infiltrated the segregated Veiled Prophet Ball and unveiled the VP King himself. Action will premiere in November of 2022, honoring the 50th anniversary of the unveiling. The play is based on extensive interviews with Percy Green and other members of ACTION.
This play is a small part in the long history of ACTION, a direct action non-violent protest organization that was active in St. Louis for 20 years. Our play is based on extensive research, archive materials, and interviews with Percy Green and other members of ACTION, including Jacqueline Bell and Margaret Phillips, as well as other St. Louis community elders and organizers past and present.
Save the Date
Action
A new play by Colin McLaughlin
Directed by Kathryn Bentley
Save the Date
THU, JAN 5 | 7:30PM FRI, JAN 6 | 7:30PM
SAT, JAN 7 | 2:00PM SAT, JAN 7 | 7:30PM
SUN, JAN 8 | 2:00PM SUN, JAN 8 | 5:00PM
Free and open to the public at
The Gaslight Theater
358 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
http://www.gaslighttheater.net/
Our Collaboration
Because the play is about a group of organizers, in building our producing model we are asking “ how would community organizers produce a play?” We are also asking the network of community organizers how we can use our work to support their work. We want to remind audiences of their people power, invite them to use it, and connect them with the ongoing fight for justice in our town.
Upon reading the play, ACTION's founder Mr. Percy Green declared “we’ll either end up on Broadway, or back in a jail cell.” He remains a consultant for the organization and an enthusiastic collaborator on the play. This project would not have been possible without his stories, guidance, and tireless dedication to social change.
Learn More
A TRUE STORY
ACTION spent the early 1960s protesting and boycotting five major employers in St. Louis, who either refused to hire African-Americans or hired next to none, despite federal law. The activists came to realize that the CEOs of all five companies were active members of “The Veiled Prophets Organization,” a segregated social club of the St. Louis elite. Further research showed that the organization has roots in the Confederacy and the KKK. Thus began almost two decades of ACTION protesting the VP, culminating in 1972, when two white members of ACTION infiltrated the VP Ball and unveiled the “Veiled Prophet” himself. The Veiled Prophets (VP) are a network of wealthy business owners. This play examines the role the VP has played in the economic structure of our city, and how the poverty we see today is the result of centuries of political design.
The Prophet's Bane: How Percy Green's Activism Changed St. Louis
Civil Rights Activist Percy Green and Writer Devin Thomas on All Things Veiled Prophet
