Elizabethton man will direct ETSU production as part of his thesis project

Published 2:01 pm Thursday, February 2, 2023

Daniel Parker, a Midway Honors student at East Tennessee State University, but better known locally as the husband of Teresa Bowers Parker, will direct “The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” as part of his senior thesis project.

The production will be presented Monday at 7 p.m. at the Bud Franks Theatre on the ETSU Campus.

Parker said the play was created from written and oral histories of men and women who took park in the American Civil Rights Movement. The play was first performed as a one-act piece by students at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. However, in 2018, the play was updated and expanded to a full-length play as part of the Research Development Committee, Small Grant Award from East Tennessee State University. ETSU Professor Bobby Funk wrote this version of the play.

Parker, who with his wife performed on Broadway in “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” lived in New York until 2019 when the couple moved to Elizabethton, Teresa’s hometown. They have been married 39 years.

After moving to Elizabethton, Parker decided to go back to school and get his degree. He applied and received a scholarship to attend ETSU, where he studied theatre and acting. As a thesis project, he was asked to direct the play written by Funk.

The production includes parts by many Elizabethton residents — members of St. Paul United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, and First United Methodist Church, who Parker recruited. His wife, Teresa, and her sister, Loretta Bowers, are also featured on some of the music, which is from the era. Some of the music featured includes: We Shall Not Be Moved, We Shall Overcome, and Precious Lord.

Parker held auditions for parts of the play in late October of last year. While there are only nine parts plus a chorus in the play, the diverse cast plays a total of 139 characters during the duration of the play.

Parker said he began working on the project late last year and since January, rehearsals have been held three times a week.

“The Dream Continues: The History of the Civil Rights Movement” opens with an old African spiritual hymn “I Been Buked, and I Been Scorned.”

“While there only a few songs within the play, the use of hymns can show what an impact racism has had on the characters and the history of the United States,” said Parker.

“Essentially, the play tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement through the words and songs of those who lived it. The stories are all oral histories. Most of these characters are the people who were in the trenches so to speak. Dr. King is heard from along with other famous activists, but many of these people have never really had their stories told. That is the purpose of the play, to remember those heroes of the Civil Rights movement,” explained Parker.

Among other activists featured are Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Jesse Jackson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few.

“It’s a play that speaks to all of us. The Civil Rights era was a dark chapter in our history. It only makes our country better if we confront it and move on, but not before we learn from it. In some instances, we did learn from it, but sadly, it is something we are still dealing with today,” Parker shared.

Parker said the play is about two hours long with a 10-minute intermission.