ATLANTA (Jan. 29, 2007) “A Song for Coretta,” a play born from a poignant moment in Atlanta’s and America’s recent past, will premiere at Spelman College in mid-February.

Written by noted author, playwright, and Cosby endowed professor of humanities at Spelman College Pearl Cleage, “A Song for Coretta” focuses on the interaction between five characters from different backgrounds and experiences while they wait in line to pay respects to Coretta Scott King after her death.

The 90-minute play will be performed Feb. 15-18 at Baldwin Burroughs Theatre at Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane in Atlanta. All performances are at 8 p.m., except the 3 p.m. Sunday matinee on Feb. 18.

Cleage said she was inspired to write the play after watching news footage of people who waited outside Ebenezer Baptist Church to bid farewell to Mrs. King after her death January 30, 2006.

“I was very moved by their patience as they stood in all that cold rain and wanted to create some imaginary characters and place them in that line,” said Cleage. “I think I was trying to show what an impact she made on a wide range of people who did not even know each other. I want the audience to think about the life of Mrs. King and the example of that life. She was a person dedicated to truth, peace and freedom. I hope that when people see the play, they will think about how those issues manifest in their own lives.”

Directed by Crystal Dickinson, assistant professor of Drama, cast members are Andrea Frye as Helen Richards, Nishanthi Bailey as Zora Evans, Deandrea Crawford as Keisha Camreron, Jade Lambert-Smith as Mona Lisa Martin, and Brynn Tucker as Gwen Johnson.

Cleage, also a poet and essayist, is the author of several novels including “Baby Brother’s Blues,” “Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do,” and “What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day,” which was an Oprah Book Club selection and a New York Times bestseller. Her other plays include “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” and “Flyin’ West.”

Cleage says she is especially pleased to have this work premiere during the 75th anniversary of the Spelman Drama Department, of which she is a graduate.

"It is truly an honor to be able to premiere my new play at Spelman as part of the celebration of the Drama Department's 75th anniversary. The experiences I had there as a student of Dr. Baldwin Burroughs and Drs. Carlton and Barbara Molette shaped my work as a playwright for all the years that followed and definitely prepared me for a life in the professional theater," says Cleage. "Working with Crystal Dickinson as a director has been a great experience and having Andrea Frye, who also graduated from the department, in the cast has been a pure pleasure."

Tickets are $10; $5 for students. For more information, call (404) 270-5488.

Spelman College:
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is the only historically Black college in the nation to be included on the U.S. News and World Report's list of top 75 "Best Liberal Arts Colleges — Undergraduate," 2005. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this private, historically Black women's college boasts outstanding alumnae, including Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees and the student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Annually, nearly one-third of Spelman students receive degrees in the sciences. The students number more than 2,186 and represent 43 states and 34 foreign countries. For more information regarding Spelman College, visit: www.spelman.edu.