Everybody has a voice.
That’s the theme and name of a play sponsored by the Martin Luther King Observance Committee, and produced by Love-It Productions, set to be performed Friday as part of the MLK Day celebrations.
Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette wrote the play.
He’s the founder of Love-it Productions, and Lovette has produced plays and presentations for the MLK events for 10 years.
His company has put on productions in the community since 1983.
The message of this year’s production is everyone is gifted with a voice to be lifted personally, professionally and in service to mankind, Lovette said.
The plot is straightforward.
"Two down-south front-porch neighbors are called to action to empower friends to rise up, see their value and to lift their voices," Lovette said.
In the words of one of the characters, "You have a voice for the whole wide world to hear. A voice no longer hushed up. A voice that deserves to be heard. Yes, your voice!"
The inspiration for the play came through a conversation Lovette had with Love-It Productions alumnus Sideeq Heard. Heard spoke the words "everybody has a voice" and they resonated with Lovette, he said.
The featured players are Love-It Productions veterans Paulette Robertson, Ava D. Cox, Erica Thomas, Randy Knox, Larry Baker and Leah Hayes; also in the cast are newcomers Nathan Wallace, Carl Brown, Tonya Walthour, Christopher Crawford, Chawndalyn Williams, Serenity Gilchrist and Keyanna Cruz.
Wallace will play the role of Martin Luther King and Brown will play Cinque.
Lovette called Wallace and Brown "awesome youth performers."
The night’s entertainment will also include the Liberty County Mass Male Choir and tentatively the First Zion Silva Divas, a senior citizen dance group form Riceboro.
The audience can expect an entertaining message to inspire people to lift their voice in the community.
"I have also intertwined teaching moments of examples of a few lesser known African-American figures in American history," Lovette said "who raised their voice and became change makers."
"Everybody Has a Voice" will perform at Live Oak Church of God in Hinesville, starting at 7 p.m.