Battle Cry

by Bianca Sams

Battle Cry is inspired by the life and travails of an unsung hero in the Black Civil Rights Movement named Claudette Colvin. At 15, Claudette refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus 9 months prior to Rosa Parks’ arrest. Battle Cry tells the personal story of a naïve but passionate 15-year-old girl whose impact on the world has been left out of history books. The play looks at issues of class, ethnicity...

Battle Cry is inspired by the life and travails of an unsung hero in the Black Civil Rights Movement named Claudette Colvin. At 15, Claudette refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus 9 months prior to Rosa Parks’ arrest. Battle Cry tells the personal story of a naïve but passionate 15-year-old girl whose impact on the world has been left out of history books. The play looks at issues of class, ethnicity, and behind the scenes politics in the fight for Civil Rights in America while also highlighting Claudette’s personal courage in the face of injustice.

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Battle Cry

Recommended by

  • Emma Goldman-Sherman: Battle Cry by Bianca Sams
    “

    It is a great leap, truly a milestone, to be able to read such an honest, gripping play with a 15 year old female protagonist poc - I love every moment of this.

    It is a great leap, truly a milestone, to be able to read such an honest, gripping play with a 15 year old female protagonist poc - I love every moment of this.

    ”
  • Sarah Bowden: Battle Cry by Bianca Sams
    “

    A beautiful play that tells the hard truth about those who are lost in the shuffle of history, usually for not fitting in to society's definition of perfection and purity. Bianca Sam creates vivid characters with vibrant inner lives, and weaves a story that feels less like history, and more like what people struggle with every single day.

    A beautiful play that tells the hard truth about those who are lost in the shuffle of history, usually for not fitting in to society's definition of perfection and purity. Bianca Sam creates vivid characters with vibrant inner lives, and weaves a story that feels less like history, and more like what people struggle with every single day.

    ”
  • Brian Vinero: Battle Cry by Bianca Sams
    “

    This writer has a clear sense of stagecraft and a rock-solid grasp of dramatic writing. The rhythm and cadence of the dialogue is beautiful and poetic, without becoming overly stylized...as is her ear for the nuances of the African-American Southern dialect and culture which is pitch-perfect, and adds authenticity to the storytelling. There is a palpable sense that the writer needs to tell this particular tale and a keen sense of urgency. This is clearly a writer worth investing in, and a perusal of "Battle Cry" is well worth your time.

    This writer has a clear sense of stagecraft and a rock-solid grasp of dramatic writing. The rhythm and cadence of the dialogue is beautiful and poetic, without becoming overly stylized...as is her ear for the nuances of the African-American Southern dialect and culture which is pitch-perfect, and adds authenticity to the storytelling. There is a palpable sense that the writer needs to tell this particular tale and a keen sense of urgency. This is clearly a writer worth investing in, and a perusal of "Battle Cry" is well worth your time.

    ”

Development History

  • Workshop, Cleveland Playhouse, 2021
  • Reading, Tides Theater - Footlights Series - San Francisco, 2014
  • Reading, Seabury Quinn Festival - Ohio University , 2013
  • Reading, Marrietta College - OH, 2013