The Supreme Court has been in the news lately. It made the national news in 1967, as well, when Thurgood Marshall, the great-grandson of slaves, was appointed to the highest court in the land. Lester Purry, the star of Geva Theatre Center’s production of “Thurgood,” will share his thoughts on portraying such an icon at the next installment of the Department of Theatre and Music Studies’ Stage Whispers: Conversations with Theatre Professionals of the year. His talk entitled, “Scaling the Scales of Justice,” will take place on Tuesday, November 6, at 10 a.m. in The College at Brockport’s Tower Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre, 180 Holley Street. The event is free and open to the public. (This installment of Stage Whispers was originally announced for November 8.)
Marshall’s achievement of being appointed to the Supreme Court bench, as well as his winning (as chief counsel for the NAACP) the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954, are just two of the highlights of an illustrious career that are recounted in the play. The Brown case basically spearheaded the civil rights movement in the country, though Marshall’s ascension through the judicial branch of the country’s government was met with hardship and discrimination at every turn.
Purry was introduced to the world of theatre during his senior year in high school, which led to 17 lead roles while attending Mars Hill University. He started acting professionally in summer stock but, a move to Minnesota with only $13 in his pocket – an ambitious idea for an actor of his “type” – proved to be the key to launching a long and thriving career filled with extraordinary acting opportunities. A highly respected regional theatre performer, Purry has graced numerous stages over his 32-year tenure in the business.
The Stage Whispers series is sponsored by The College at Brockport’s Department of Theatre and Music Studies as part of their alliance with Geva Theatre Center. The series gives community members insight into the process of professional theatre artists. For more information, call 395-2496.
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