CuesheetP

ER

FO

RM

AN

CE

GU

IDE

David M. Rubenstein

Chairman

Michael M. Kaiser

President

Darrell M. Ayers

Vice President, Education

The Millennium Stage was

created and underwritten by

James A. Johnson and Maxine

Isaacs to make the performing

arts accessible to everyone in

fulfillment of the Kennedy Center's

mission to its community and

the nation.

Additional funding for the

Millennium Stage is provided by

Capital One Bank, DC Commission

on the Arts and Humanities,

The Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky

Family Foundation, Inc.,

The Meredith Foundation,

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz

Foundation, Suzy and Bob Pence,

Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A.J.

Stolwijk, U.S. Department of

Education, and the Millennium

Stage Endowment Fund.

Millennium Stage Endowment

Fund—James A. Johnson and

Maxine Isaacs, Fannie Mae

Foundation, James V. Kimsey,

Gilbert† and Jaylee† Mead,

Mortgage Bankers Association of

America, Anonymous, and other

gifts to secure the future of the

Millennium Stage.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced byARTSEDGE, an education program

of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at

the Kennedy Center at

www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have beendeveloped under a grant from the U.S.

Department of Education and do not

necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.

Department of Education. You should not

assume endorsement by the Federal

Government.

© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for

the Performing Arts

Four LittleGirls:BIRMINGHAM 1963

Project1VOICE and Howard Universityin cooperation with

Duke Ellington School of the ArtsAfrican Continuum Theatre Company

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

present

A STAGED READINGWritten by Christina Ham

Directed by Phylicia Rashad

Original music and arrangements by Kathryn Bostic

“What bothers me most is that their nameshave been virtually erased: They are inevitably

referred to as ‘the four Black girls’ killed inthe Birmingham church bombing.”

— Angela Davis, political activist andchildhood friend of Carole Robertson

Behind the CurtainThe PlaywrightChristina Ham is an award-winning playwright known nationally andinternationally for her work. Her credits include Crash Test Dummies as well asRuby!: The Story of Ruby Bridges about the first African American student toattend an all-white school in the South.

The DirectorPhylicia Rashad has directed August Wilson’s plays Gem of the Ocean and JoeTurner’s Come and Gone, among other productions. She is also a Tony Award®–winning actress, and has performed many roles for television, film, and stage.She is best known for her role as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

About the StagingToday’s performance of Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 features actors readingfrom scripts and does not require scenery, props, or costumes. Stylistically referredto as Reader’s Theater, this staging invites the audience to turn up their imaginations.

Watch and listen how…� different actors perform multiple characters� projected images help create the setting� actors explain the time and place similar to a Greek chorus commenting onthe play’s action

� church songs help set the mood, reflect the play’s themes, and speak directlyto the spirit of the civil rights movement

Think about…� what today’s world would look like to Addie Mae, Carole, Cynthia, and Denise� what issues discussed in the play are still relevant today� how you would feel growing up with the awful “d” word (“don’t”)

A Note on LanguageAbout the use of racist slurs in the script, the playwright writes:“The bastardization of the word “Negro” into the word “nigger” and how it was used duringthis period to subjugate African Americans (particularly in the Jim Crow South) is unfortunate.However, it was necessary for me to use this word in this play to document what life waslike for these young ladies living in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama.” — Christina Ham

The Congress of Racial Equality march in Washington, D.C. on September 22, 1963, inmemory of the children killed in the Birmingham bombings.

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OTO

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The Millennium Stage is brought to you by

They Had Three MinutesAbout the PlayTold against the backdrop of the racially divided cityof Birmingham, Alabama, Denise, Carole, Addie Mae,and Cynthia are trying to live their young lives. You’llfind them talking about homework and hairstyles,dance lessons and ribbons, cute boys and dreams oftheir futures—typical teenage stuff without any hint ofcolor lines.

But there are lines drawn everywhere—at water fountains,on buses, and at the drugstore soda fountain. Just as

the Civil Rights Movement brings its protests toBirmingham, the prospect of change stirs feelings ofhope and hatred and a fear of violence. And at night,the girls wonder: Whose house will be bombed next?

Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 is a tapestry ofdramatic scenes, images, history, and song. Like adreamscape, the play shifts easily between peopleand places to glimpse the personal stories stolenfrom these four girls on September 15 when theirchurch, the 16th Street Baptist Church, was bombed.This is their story.

Segregationists reacted by digging in, determined toblock racial integration by any means necessary,even with help from state politicians. In his inauguralspeech in January 1963, Alabama governor GeorgeWallace announced “segregation now, segregationtomorrow, segregation forever.” During this tenseperiod of struggle, the Southern Christian LeadershipConference led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., broughtits campaign of nonviolent protests to Birmingham.The 16th Street Baptist Church became one of theheadquarters for the protesters.

About BirminghamDr. King called Birmingham “probably the mostthoroughly segregated city in the United States.”Blacks and whites were not allowed to socializetogether, and “Jim Crow laws” required blacks to useseparate water fountains and separate bathrooms.The Ku Klux Klan was the secret society of enforcersof such discrimination, terrorizing blackneighborhoods with threats and attacks. One blackneighborhood had been bombed so often that localsreferred to it as “Dynamite Hill,” while the city itselfwas nicknamed “Bombingham.”

As protests gained momentum in May 1963, firemenblasted young black marchers with fire hoses, andpolice set attack dogs on them. The shocking sceneswere captured by news cameras and broadcast acrossthe country and around the world. The city’s whiteleaders could no longer conceal how shameful theircommunity’s bigotry had become. They agreed tonegotiate with black leaders to end racial segregation.

But then on September 15, 1963, the bomb went offon 16th Street.

Addie Mae Collins(age 14)One of seven children,Addie Mae loved artand was a wickedsoftball pitcher.

Carole Robertson(age 14)A Girl Scout andstraight-A student,Carole played theclarinet in the schoolband and enjoyedscience and math.

Denise McNair(age 11)“Niecie” liked toorganize plays, danceperformances, andpoetry readings toraise money forcharity. She talked ofbecoming a doctor.

Cynthia Wesley(age 14)Cynthia was thedaughter of twoteachers. She lovedbooks, band,and math.

Two boys were also killed that day in Birmingham—Johnny Robinson (age 16) and Virgil Ware (age 13).Sometime after the bombing, Johnny was killed by apoliceman and Virgil was shot while he rode on thehandlebars of his brother’s bike.

About the TimesAbout the MovementBy 1963, the Civil Rights Movement had become apowerful force against injustices and racism faced byAfrican Americans, especially in Southern states.Legal victories and nonviolent protests broughtnational attention to the ugly truths of bigotry andracial segregation. As a result, public opinion shiftedto the side of civil rights causes.

Virgil Ware

Johnny Robinson

They Had Three MinutesAbout the PlayTold against the backdrop of the racially divided cityof Birmingham, Alabama, Denise, Carole, Addie Mae,and Cynthia are trying to live their young lives. You’llfind them talking about homework and hairstyles,dance lessons and ribbons, cute boys and dreams oftheir futures—typical teenage stuff without any hint ofcolor lines.

But there are lines drawn everywhere—at water fountains,on buses, and at the drugstore soda fountain. Just as

the Civil Rights Movement brings its protests toBirmingham, the prospect of change stirs feelings ofhope and hatred and a fear of violence. And at night,the girls wonder: Whose house will be bombed next?

Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 is a tapestry ofdramatic scenes, images, history, and song. Like adreamscape, the play shifts easily between peopleand places to glimpse the personal stories stolenfrom these four girls on September 15 when theirchurch, the 16th Street Baptist Church, was bombed.This is their story.

Segregationists reacted by digging in, determined toblock racial integration by any means necessary,even with help from state politicians. In his inauguralspeech in January 1963, Alabama governor GeorgeWallace announced “segregation now, segregationtomorrow, segregation forever.” During this tenseperiod of struggle, the Southern Christian LeadershipConference led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., broughtits campaign of nonviolent protests to Birmingham.The 16th Street Baptist Church became one of theheadquarters for the protesters.

About BirminghamDr. King called Birmingham “probably the mostthoroughly segregated city in the United States.”Blacks and whites were not allowed to socializetogether, and “Jim Crow laws” required blacks to useseparate water fountains and separate bathrooms.The Ku Klux Klan was the secret society of enforcersof such discrimination, terrorizing blackneighborhoods with threats and attacks. One blackneighborhood had been bombed so often that localsreferred to it as “Dynamite Hill,” while the city itselfwas nicknamed “Bombingham.”

As protests gained momentum in May 1963, firemenblasted young black marchers with fire hoses, andpolice set attack dogs on them. The shocking sceneswere captured by news cameras and broadcast acrossthe country and around the world. The city’s whiteleaders could no longer conceal how shameful theircommunity’s bigotry had become. They agreed tonegotiate with black leaders to end racial segregation.

But then on September 15, 1963, the bomb went offon 16th Street.

Addie Mae Collins(age 14)One of seven children,Addie Mae loved artand was a wickedsoftball pitcher.

Carole Robertson(age 14)A Girl Scout andstraight-A student,Carole played theclarinet in the schoolband and enjoyedscience and math.

Denise McNair(age 11)“Niecie” liked toorganize plays, danceperformances, andpoetry readings toraise money forcharity. She talked ofbecoming a doctor.

Cynthia Wesley(age 14)Cynthia was thedaughter of twoteachers. She lovedbooks, band,and math.

Two boys were also killed that day in Birmingham—Johnny Robinson (age 16) and Virgil Ware (age 13).Sometime after the bombing, Johnny was killed by apoliceman and Virgil was shot while he rode on thehandlebars of his brother’s bike.

About the TimesAbout the MovementBy 1963, the Civil Rights Movement had become apowerful force against injustices and racism faced byAfrican Americans, especially in Southern states.Legal victories and nonviolent protests broughtnational attention to the ugly truths of bigotry andracial segregation. As a result, public opinion shiftedto the side of civil rights causes.

Virgil Ware

Johnny Robinson

CuesheetP

ER

FO

RM

AN

CE

GU

IDE

David M. Rubenstein

Chairman

Michael M. Kaiser

President

Darrell M. Ayers

Vice President, Education

The Millennium Stage was

created and underwritten by

James A. Johnson and Maxine

Isaacs to make the performing

arts accessible to everyone in

fulfillment of the Kennedy Center's

mission to its community and

the nation.

Additional funding for the

Millennium Stage is provided by

Capital One Bank, DC Commission

on the Arts and Humanities,

The Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky

Family Foundation, Inc.,

The Meredith Foundation,

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz

Foundation, Suzy and Bob Pence,

Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A.J.

Stolwijk, U.S. Department of

Education, and the Millennium

Stage Endowment Fund.

Millennium Stage Endowment

Fund—James A. Johnson and

Maxine Isaacs, Fannie Mae

Foundation, James V. Kimsey,

Gilbert† and Jaylee† Mead,

Mortgage Bankers Association of

America, Anonymous, and other

gifts to secure the future of the

Millennium Stage.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced byARTSEDGE, an education program

of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at

the Kennedy Center at

www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have beendeveloped under a grant from the U.S.

Department of Education and do not

necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.

Department of Education. You should not

assume endorsement by the Federal

Government.

© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for

the Performing Arts

Four LittleGirls:BIRMINGHAM 1963

Project1VOICE and Howard Universityin cooperation with

Duke Ellington School of the ArtsAfrican Continuum Theatre Company

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

present

A STAGED READINGWritten by Christina Ham

Directed by Phylicia Rashad

Original music and arrangements by Kathryn Bostic

“What bothers me most is that their nameshave been virtually erased: They are inevitably

referred to as ‘the four Black girls’ killed inthe Birmingham church bombing.”

— Angela Davis, political activist andchildhood friend of Carole Robertson

Behind the CurtainThe PlaywrightChristina Ham is an award-winning playwright known nationally andinternationally for her work. Her credits include Crash Test Dummies as well asRuby!: The Story of Ruby Bridges about the first African American student toattend an all-white school in the South.

The DirectorPhylicia Rashad has directed August Wilson’s plays Gem of the Ocean and JoeTurner’s Come and Gone, among other productions. She is also a Tony Award®–winning actress, and has performed many roles for television, film, and stage.She is best known for her role as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

About the StagingToday’s performance of Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 features actors readingfrom scripts and does not require scenery, props, or costumes. Stylistically referredto as Reader’s Theater, this staging invites the audience to turn up their imaginations.

Watch and listen how…� different actors perform multiple characters� projected images help create the setting� actors explain the time and place similar to a Greek chorus commenting onthe play’s action

� church songs help set the mood, reflect the play’s themes, and speak directlyto the spirit of the civil rights movement

Think about…� what today’s world would look like to Addie Mae, Carole, Cynthia, and Denise� what issues discussed in the play are still relevant today� how you would feel growing up with the awful “d” word (“don’t”)

A Note on LanguageAbout the use of racist slurs in the script, the playwright writes:“The bastardization of the word “Negro” into the word “nigger” and how it was used duringthis period to subjugate African Americans (particularly in the Jim Crow South) is unfortunate.However, it was necessary for me to use this word in this play to document what life waslike for these young ladies living in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama.” — Christina Ham

The Congress of Racial Equality march in Washington, D.C. on September 22, 1963, inmemory of the children killed in the Birmingham bombings.

PH

OTO

BY

THO

MA

SJ.

O’H

ALL

OR

AN

The Millennium Stage is brought to you by