Actor and playwright Mike Wiley performed “A Game Apart” on March 26 at Piedmont Arts.
About 50 guests attended the one-person play, which provided a glimpse into the life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Wiley’s powerful performance shed light on the struggles Robinson faced on and off the field during the era of segregation.
The performance was sponsored by the Martinsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Tau Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Wiley also brought his performance to local schools on March 27 as part of Piedmont Arts’ educational outreach. Nearly 400 students at Albert Harris and Patrick Henry elementary schools watched Wiley perform and were called on to take part in the production. After the play, Wiley held a Q&A with students and teachers.
Wiley is a frequent performer at Piedmont Arts, where he has shared other plays focusing on historical Black figures, such as Emmett Till and Henry “Box” Brown, as well as the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.
Piedmont Arts’ educational outreach programs are presented free of charge to students and schools. The museum reaches nearly 7,000 students each year through its programming.
To support the museum’s educational outreach initiatives, donations may be made to the Kay Smith Arts Education Fund at PiedmontArts.org.
For more information on educational outreach, exhibits, and events visit PiedmontArts.org.
