Sandra Seaton on Jan. 25 Kellogg event - "The Will, Music History, and King: A Playwright Celebrates 60-50 Civil Rights Anniversaries"

Sandra Seaton: Me and my wonderful guests at the reception  following "The Will, Music History, and King: A Playwright Celebrates 60-50 Civil Rights Anniversaries"  Kellogg Center Auditorium, East Lansing, Michigan on January 25, 2013.

Darius Gillard

Sandra Seaton writes:

Dear Bill,

I tried to add a comment to your excellent post about my event at Kellogg Center, but I don't think it went through.  Thank you so much, Bill, for taking the time to mention my work. I really appreciate it.

Along with  excerpts from my plays The Will and Music History, my work, King: A Reflection on the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was performed on January 25 at Kellogg. King is a spoken word piece, written to be performed accompanied by spirituals. I was delighted to be accompanied by Darius Gillard, a fine young baritone MSU graduate student in the School of Music, who sang and re-scored the spirituals to be sung a capella. I have attached Darius's photo and a photo from the reception after the event. The audience was thrilled by Darius Gillard's performance.

Here's the synopsis for King:

King: A Reflection on the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A spoken word piece, by playwright/librettist Sandra Seaton, accompanied by spirituals, about the journey of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he struggled to bring civil rights to the United States. The piece, a mixture of poetry and brief reflections, remembers Rev. King as an individual with human limitations who nevertheless answered the call to leadership. His life serves as a model for those, especially the young, who might feel that any imperfection disqualifies them from leadership.  The piece is divided into four sections:  “Nobel-man,” “Chicago,” “Bottles and Rocks,” and "Memphis 1968.”

King, written by Sandra Seaton in 2004, was first performed in January 2005 at the Wharton Center in East Lansing, Michigan with choral accompaniment by the Detroit Renaissance High School Choir, Ann Arbor Youth Chorale and Michigan State University Children's Choirs. 

Thanks so much,

Sandra