1931: Nine African American boys. Seven white boys. Two white girls. One big lie.

In a miscarriage of justice that outlasted their lives, the story of what happened to The Scottsboro Boys is brought to the stage in a daring, provocative musical by legendary musical theatre duo Kander and Ebb (“Cabaret” and “Chicago”). This Wilmington premiere, produced by Techmoja Dance and Theatre Company, opens this Friday, Feb. 6 with a dynamic cast of performers whose talent and courage bring urgency and humanity to a story too often marginalized or forgotten.  

In 1931, nine young black men were on a train traveling to find work when a racially-charged fight broke out between passengers. The young white men who were fighting were forced to exit the train and so they created a story of how the black men were at fault. By the time the train reached a town near Scottsboro, Alabama, the boys, who became known as “The Scottsboro Boys,”  were met with an angry mob and charged with assault. Two white women who were also riding the train, faced charges of vagrancy and illegal sexual activity. In order to avoid these charges, they falsely accused the Scottsboro Boys of rape. (Excerpted from “National Museum of African American History & Culture.”) 

The boys’ lack of fair trials, all-white juries, and systemic racism resulted in wrongful convictions and death sentences for most, highlighting severe racial injustice. Despite overwhelming evidence of innocence and a confession by one accuser, the men spent years in prison.

I sat down with actor Ian Davis to discuss the Wilmington premiere of the musical. Ian is no stranger to Techmoja, having performed in a number of their previous productions including “Dream Girls” and “West Side Story.”  In fact, a number of the actors in this production have been singing together for a long time in the area, and that comradery along with the addition of some new faces has led to a particularly special process. 

“I’m in awe of how the whole process has come together. It has been amazing to see how everyone has transformed into their characters,” Davis says. They all feel a deep responsibility in the telling of this story. “We learned the history of each one of our characters because this isn’t a fictional story-they were actual people and we have to do them justice.” 

The production is complemented by an art exhibit: “Their Lives in Color: The Scottsboro Portraits,” a multidisciplinary visual art installation running through the close of the production on February 15. Just as the production, this series demands we remember humanity and confront the demons of injustice.

These nine large-scale portraits represent nine visual artists across mixed media, collage, painting, assemblage, and found materials. This installation centers the story of the Scottsboro Boys as children and young men—individual humans—before 1931. Just as all people—with dreams, personalities, and lived experiences—these nine boys were more than a courtroom story.

“The Scottsboro Boys” musical takes a bold and unique approach to the story, employing the convention of a minstrel show to tell part of the story. Minstrel shows were historically performed by white performers with blackened faces who mimicked enslaved Africans. In "The Scottsboro Boys," the Black actors themselves perform the minstrel show, which was met with some controversy in the original 2010 production. I asked Davis his thoughts about this element of the show.

“I actually like the approach because … it shows how hurtful it was. We tell a sad story with smiles on our faces. It puts it in your face and forces you to accept the history of what minstrel shows were and shows how absurd what happened to them was through the absurdity of that art form.” The absurdist nature of the show is intentional. Davis says many of the songs in the show are, “hilarious until you listen to them…You get the laughs, the show, and then the ugly truth behind it.”

I have wanted to see “The Scottsboro Boys” since I learned of it in 2010. Theatre at its best has the power to engage, provoke, entertain, and teach all at the same time. In our current climate, with attempts to white-wash history and remove or retell uncomfortable and painful truths, we run the risk of not being able to learn the lessons from past injustices - and those that still happen today. 

And so I say, go see “The Scottsboro Boys.” Their story deserves to be seen, heard and experienced. It is our society's responsibility to be witness to it so we don’t continue to repeat it. As Davis so eloquently says, “We can’t move forward with the future unless we take a hard look at the past.”

"The Scottsboro Boys," directed and choreographed by Kevin Lee-Y Green, runs February 6–15, 2026 at the historic Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets available at ThalianHall.org.

Details:

The Scottsboro Boys

The Red Box at Thalian Hall

February 6-15, 2026

Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, 3 p.m.

Tickets: $32-$38

ThalianHall.org