Off-Broadway play about civil rights held in Gainesville as part of Juneteenth celebration

The presentation of the off-Broadway touring play “Justice on Trial: Reloaded” drew a packed crowd of hundreds Sunday at Upper Room Ministries in northeast Gainesville.

The play features the stories of Black historical figures testifying about their experiences in America.

"It is a very timely play, and it is a good way to kick off the Journey to Juneteenth week," said Karl “The Rev.” Anderson of Upper Room Ministries. "It reminds us why we celebrate it. We are so grateful for them to stop by the community. We have atrocities here in our city and we are one hour away from Rosewood. We are aware of what's going on and we pray we do something about it and vote."

Freedom Walk: Black history taught during Juneteenth Freedom Walk in Gainesville

The play revolves around time-traveling witnesses, such as Harriet Tubman, Emmett Till and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, who testify in front of a modern multicultural jury on behalf of civil rights attorneys suing the U.S. Justice Department for $14 trillion in reparations for Blacks.

It was written and directed by Chad Lawson Cooper, who plays the plaintiff in the case.

The murder of Philando Castile, 32, on July 6, 2016, a Black man fatally shot during a traffic stop by a police officer in Minnesota, inspired him to write the play that that has been presented 150 times in 30 states, Cooper said.

"We are the originators of education and modern-day history and we want them to know that they can be anything they want to be despite the odds, and to go vote," Cooper said.

It was very fitting the play was presented in a church because of the church's history when it came to social justice movements, Cooper said.

"Churches have always been the heartbeat in social justice movements," Cooper said. "We should keep hope alive. It's important to control the narrative because when we tell our story, we tell it with truth and power."

The executive producers of the play are Cooper, his wife Alicia Robinson Cooper and renowned actor Harry Lennix.

Robinson Cooper, a Gainesville native, portrayed Harriet Tubman in the play.

The play was also a homecoming for her because she remembers growing up and attending Jerusalem Church of God by Faith in Monteocha, a few miles north of Gainesville just west of the Gainesville Raceway off County Road 225.

The Coopers led a ministry called A Wealthy Place Ministry that grew into a theater production, Robinson Cooper said.

"It makes me feel very good to see it manifest," she said. "I'm so happy to see the young people here so they can be further informed about where we come from. This was a great place for them to recognize great icons."

For information on future shows, visit thechadcoopercompany.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Northeast Gainesville church hosts presentation of off-Broadway play