Clinton Hill Theater Shines Light on Trayvon Martin in Inaugural Play

A new Clinton Hill arts center will open its doors to the public Thursday with an inaugural play that centers on "race-based violence, interrogation and what it means to be a black man in America."

JACK theater will present "Outcry," a drama that focuses on the lives of Trayvon Martin, Emmett Till, Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell, men who were killed under racially-charged circumstances.

The play puts the men in conversation with each other, "unveiling the richness of the lives behind these icons," the theater's page notes. 

Playwright Thais Francis said on YouTube the play "deals with the question, 'What happens when you scream, but no matter how much or how loud, no one hears you?'"

Francis said the play is juxtaposed to being in a black hole.

"Because in space, you make noise, you can scream, you can do anything but no one will ever hear you because it's a vacuum," she said. "So I'm asking, is that what our society is? Is it a vacuum that when an egregious act of violence occurs against a young man, we scream about it, and then nothing happens?" 

The play debuts only days after what would have been the 18th birthday of Martin, who was fatally shot on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford, Fla. 

Directed by Christopher Burris, "Outcry" will be shown Feb. 7-9 at 8 p.m., Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., Feb 14-16 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. JACK Theater is located at 505 1/2 Waverly Ave., between Fulton and Atlantic avenues.