This Just In: The following is a news release written by an arts organization, submitted to and edited by Chicago On the Aisle.

Writers Theatre opens its 13^th annual tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights, written by Yolanda Androzzo, directed by Tasia A. Jonesand featuring Angela Alise with a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day public performance at 10:30 a.m. on January 21 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

The kickoff event also includes a post-show community discussion. The event is free and open to the public, and audience members will also receive free museum admission for the remainder of the day.

Weaving together poetry, hip hop and history, The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is a one-woman show that follows Chicago student Alaya’s personal transformation through studying the Civil Rights Movement. Alaya uses her fists as an outlet for anger. After interviewing local heroes of the movement, she discovers she can put “anger into action” and that her power is in her voice and her hip hop, not violence.

Seen by more than 77,000 students, this dynamic, cross-cultural, multi-media performance interlaces personal interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights activists, featuring both celebrated and unsung heroes of the movement, such as the Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles, founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Puerto Rican poet and activist David Hernandez, among others.

The 2019 production will tour to more than 35 venues during its six-week run, including  Chicago Public Schools, community centers, and juvenile detention centers.  All performances on the tour include a post-show discussion and a study guide with wrap-around curriculum.

Writers Theatre will also feature two special onsite performance of The MLK Project on Saturday, February 2, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets for this performance are $20 for adults and $10 for students and may be purchased by calling the WT Box Office at 847-242-6000 or go here.

Title:                                 The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights

By:                                    Yolanda Androzzo

Directed by:                     Tasia A. Jones

Featuring:                        Angela Alise

Dates:                              Monday, January 21, 10:30am – Chicago History Museum (Free)

Saturday, February 2, 4 p.m. 7 p.m. – WT’s Gillian Theatre   (Paid: $20 adults; $10 students)

The 2019 tour of The MLK Project is made possible in part by support from Allstate, Major Corporate Sponsor.  Additional supporters of The MLK Project and Writers Theatre’s education programs in 2019 include: The Crown Family, Northern Trust Charitable Trust, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Petersen Aluminum Corporation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, and The Seabury Foundation.

Writers Theatre Education Programs are aimed at exploring text, nurturing the creativity of young people and instilling appreciation of the arts for future generations. Through comprehensive programming in schools, on-site and through community-based initiatives, WT Education’s curriculum is designed to emphasize collaboration, cultivate self-expression, encourage imaginative inquiry and promote civic responsibility and social justice.