Student-directed production shines the spotlight on social awareness, injustice
MSU Office of Public Affairs
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Contact: Zoie Henson, PR Intern
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Vernell L. Allen, a senior communication major with a concentration in theater from Brookhaven, has worked in different areas of theater throughout his college years, but directing All American Boys was a new experience for him.
“I hadn’t done it before, and it helped fuel my desire and passion for being a director in the future. I knew that I wanted to direct, but every day I do it, I realize that I enjoy the work, even when it’s stressful,” said Allen.
When Allen learned that he would be directing All American Boys, he said he was honored because the play is relevant in today’s socio-political culture.
“All American Boys is about the complexities surrounding police brutality,” said Allen, “especially the relationships between the victim and their family, the perpetrator and their family, and witnesses. The show explores their experiences and how it affects each individual until it can’t be ignored anymore.”
After reading the script, Allen wanted the audience to talk about what they had seen, and not simply “internalize it and leave with biases.” Allen’s desire was for audience members to see “a different vantage point into social issues.”
Allen said the goal of the show is to “encourage individuals to think and act,” so he invited a panel of individuals with experience in law enforcement, black culture, social issues, and more to speak about the effects these situations have on individuals who might experience injustice. Panelists included:
- Dr. Pete Smith, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Communication
- Officer Kenny Rogers, a patrol captain with MSU’s Police Department
- Mr. Le’Roy Davenport, an assistant director of student outreach and engagement and also the senior pastor of the 16th Section M. B. Church
- Jody Drezner Alperin, a playwright and artistic director of Off The Page
- Vicky Finney Crouch, a playwright and co-founder of Off The Page.
“If people take away one thing from the show, I hope that they realize the importance of treating people the way they want to be treated,” said Allen. “A lot of social issues can’t be systemically solved by this, but individually, it will make a change. Be conscious of those around you.”
Despite the production workload, Allen remained diligent in making his vision come to life. He said the most satisfying part of directing was seeing every detail fall into place—from the beginning with only a script, to blocking in a rehearsal room, to seeing it come to life on the main stage in McComas Theatre.
Allen said directing has taught him how to achieve his high expectations and about having faith in his cast and crew. Developing the production exceeded his expectations, something he said was better than he could have imagined even though he faced challenges, something he now sees as an “opportunity to grow.”
All American Boys is a production based on the novel by the same name written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and adapted for stage by Jody Drezner Alperin and Vicky Finney Crouch. The show promotes civil discourse about the policing of people of color and follows the stories of Rashad, a black teenager, and Quinn, a white classmate.
Part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication offers a bachelor of arts degree in five concentration areas: broadcast and digital journalism, communication and media studies, print and digital journalism, public relations, and theatre. For more, visit www.comm.msstate.edu. MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.