Kent State Kicks Off 55th Commemoration of May 4 With Play on Student Activism and Book Bans

This year, Kent State University will hold the 55th commemoration honoring the memory of May 4, 1970, a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard fired on Kent State students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students, wounding nine others and sparking a turning point in American history. The commemoration in 2025 will highlight the ongoing significance of free speech, activism and education in shaping our collective history.

Kicking off the program for the annual May 4 Commemoration is a play that focuses on student activism and book bans. In partnership with the university's May 4 Education Committee, Kent State's School of Theatre and Dance will present "Trial by Fire" from Feb. 7-9 in Wright-Curtis Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts on the Kent Campus. Set against the backdrop of censorship and the fight for intellectual freedom, the play centers on a Kent State graduate who is put "on trial" for allowing her students access to banned books.

In the play, word spreads that Georgia Grimm, the new Women's Studies teacher and recent Kent State graduate, has been allowing her high school students to access books from the governor's new "banned" list. In response, five teens look for a way to rise up and save their teacher's job and reputation. As the pressure mounts for Georgia, a young woman of color, to either resign or be fired, her students try to stop town leaders from burning books, leading to one student being injured in the flames.

"As the students rise to answer the call for activism, 'Trial by Fire' serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of standing up for free expression and confronting injustices," said Neil Cooper, Ph.D., professor and director of Kent State's School of Peace and Conflict Studies and chair of the May 4 Education Committee. "Through these May 4 programs, we continue to amplify the voices that challenge and shape the world around us."

Cooper explained that the May 4 Education Committee works year-round to bring meaningful educational programming that both reflects on the past and also inspires present and future generations.

The play's connection to Kent State runs deep, as both the protagonist and the playwright, Eric Mansfield, are alumni. Mansfield, of Akron, Ohio, earned his master's degree in public relations from Kent State in 2012 and is currently working on his Master of Fine Arts in playwriting. He also serves as assistant vice president for content strategy and communications at the university.

A member of the Dramatist Guild, Mansfield has written more than 20 plays. His work has been performed in Ohio, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and other locations. Mansfield has received many writing awards, including the 2023 Jean Kennedy Smith National Playwriting Award (second place) from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for his original play "Baron of Brown Street."

"The obstacles this young teacher and her students are facing in the play are the same ones we are seeing across our country right now and create a similar call to action that Kent State's students have historically endured," Mansfield said. "I'm honored that Kent State feels the connection between the plight of the characters in this play and the call to activism our students felt in 1970."

After "Trial by Fire" premiered in Akron in 2024, Mansfield was approached by the May 4 Educational Committee about bringing the play to Kent State as part of the committee's year-round programming and to emphasize the journey of a Kent State graduate who faces racism, sexism and other challenges and whose students become activists.

"Trial by Fire" at Kent State is directed by Courtney Brown, associate professor of voice and acting at Kent State's School of Theatre and Dance. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 7-8 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9. Tickets to "Trial by Fire" can be purchased through the Performing Arts Box Office by phone at 330-672-2787 or online at https://kentstate.evenue.net/events/PABO-TH. Ticket prices range from $12-$20. Tickets are free for Kent State students, faculty and staff.

For more information about "Trial by Fire," visit www.kent.edu/theatredance/trial-fire.

About May 4 Commemoration

The annual May 4 Commemoration will take place at noon on May 4 at the Kent State Commons (rain location: Kent Student Center Ballroom). Additional programs include the Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series on May 2 and the annual Candlelight Walk and Vigil on May 3. These events and the yearlong educational initiatives help preserve the memory of May 4 while continuing the vital conversation about the power of activism and free speech. Additional programming and tickets will be announced in mid-spring.

For the latest information about the commemoration and events planned to honor and remember May 4, 1970, visit www.kent.edu/may4.

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Top Photo Caption:
The cast of "Trial by Fire" rehearses at Kent State University's Center for the Performing Arts while director Courtney Brown (far right) watches. (Photo credit: Rami Daud)

Media Contact:
Emily Vincent, [email protected], 330-672-8595

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