Janet Langhart Cohen, wife of former U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, will join with Emerson College for the U.S. debut of her groundbreaking one-act play "Anne and Emmett" on Thursday, April 10.
The play, an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till - both young victims of institutional racism - represents the first time anyone has drawn historical parallels between their lives. Anne's part will be played by Krista Buccllato, an Emerson student and Emmett's part will be read by Elyas Harris from the Boston Arts Academy. It will be directed by Obie Award Winner and Emerson Performing Arts Professor Robbie McCauley.
After the reading, Janet Langhart Cohen and William S. Cohen will engage more than 200 people in a dialogue on race, religion and politics in America. They will comment on the dynamics of race in America and Mrs. Cohen's vision of what the play holds for addressing racial, ethnic and religious prejudice.
The presentation will include a reading of the play and its social contexts. The event is timed to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Month and also takes place within a few days of the 40th anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a friend and mentor to Langhart Cohen.
"Since completing 'Anne and Emmett' last year, there has not been a month that has gone by where there has not been an incident of racial or religious intolerance or bias. While 'Anne and Emmett' represents to victims of racism and anti-Semitism, tragically intolerance is not limited to race and religion. Both of their stories serve as a vivid reminder of what happens when intolerance intersects with indifference," Langhart Cohen said. "It is my deepest hope that this play will not just encourage dialogue but inspire each of us to take positive actions to ensure a more tolerant world."
An author and journalist, Langhart Cohen has produced several television programs including On Capitol Hill with Janet Langhart. She has been an overseas correspondent in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and hosted ABC's Good Day show in Boston. When she married former U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, she became the first and only black woman to be married in the U.S. Capitol. Her company, Langhart Communications, provides media training to CEOs and government officials.
"We are thrilled that Janet Langhart Cohen has selected Emerson College to debut this important work," said Emerson College President Jackie Liebergott. "The message in 'Anne and Emmett' reflects Emerson's continued commitment to diversity and inclusion."
"Anne and Emmett" was first published in 2007 in William Cohen's book "Love in Black and White: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Romance," which chronicles the couple's lives against the backdrop of racial and political history.
The play is a fictional dialogue between teenagers Anne Frank and Emmett Till, one murdered because she was Jewish, the other because he was black. The play reveals the commonality of the struggles of African Americans and the Jewish people and offers viewers a chance to open a dialogue on racism and anti-Semitism.
Anne Frank was 15 when she died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Her famous diary details her life from 1942 to 1944 as her family hid from the Nazis in an Amsterdam attic. Emmett Till of Chicago was 14 when he visited his great-uncle in Mississippi in August 1955. He was kidnapped, beaten, shot, and his weighted body dropped into the Tallahatchie River. The two white men charged were acquitted, but later admitted to the crime because Till had either spoken to or whistled at a white woman.
The event, at the Semel Theater at Emerson College, is a collaboration of the Department of Performing Arts and the Center for Diversity in the Communication Industries at Emerson and Langhart Cohen. The event is open to members of the Emerson community, invited guests and the news media.