Tony Award- and Obie Award-winning playwright Sarah Jones, the keynote speaker for the Business & Finance MLK Convocation — Many Voices: A Shared Dream! says she’ll seek to connect with her audience through laughter, playfullness and joy to promote Martin Luther King Jr.’s message.
Jones, who also is a performer and poet, and called a “master of the genre” by the New York Times, performs in a 1-3 p.m. program Jan. 16 in Rackham Auditorium.
Photo courtesy OAMI.
She says much of the performance will involve her portrayal of a range of humorous characters, and that such an approach is fitting. “Dr. King loved to laugh; he had a great sense of humor. Open laughing mouths can help lead to open minds,” she says.
Jones discovered a gift for mimicry as a youth from Queens, N.Y., while attending the United Nations International School. She also gained insight into the lives of those in other countries. In 2000 she debuted “Women Can’t Wait,” a play about injustice and oppression, and since has written and performed four multi-character solo shows. Her 2004 Broadway show “Bridge and Tunnel” explores injustice through characters derived from the author’s experience in a multicultural environment.
“I want to bring my truth across and let the audience share some of their truth with me,” Jones says.
In this time of economic downturn, Jones says she has been thinking about how King near the end of his life was focused on fighting poverty and helping the poor. “He is part of a line of philosophers and thinkers concerned about human rights and human values. I’m interested in thinking of Dr. King in a broader context of social justice for all people,” she says.
