The Literature of May 4 -- Drama

Kent State: A Requiem

J. Gregory Payne

Kent State: A Requiem written by J. Gregory Payne, is a dramatic and factual examination of the events of May 4 from the perspective of Mrs. Florence Schroeder, whose son Bill was one of the 4 students killed. The play was first performed as a Readers Theatre production as Kent State: A Wake at Yale University and Occidental College in 1976. This piece formed the roots for Kent State: A Requiem which toured at various colleges across the nation in 1980. It was performed at Kent State in 1990 and in 1995 as part of the commemoration program.

Nightwalking: Voices from Kent State

A Play by Sandra Perlman

The world premiere of Nightwalking was in Chicago at the Organic Theater on April 20, 1995. It was also performed at Kent State University on May 5 & 6, 1995.

From the last scene, the voice of Margot:

"In our life there are markers to help us see how far we have come. Birthdays, anniversaries, awards -- to help us look at how well we have passed our time here and how much there is still to do. Sometimes the markers are there for all of us to see. ... If we are not vigilant, this life will come and go and we will miss it and leave it behind without a trace. If we are not vigilant, we can become bitter or lost or worse. If we are not vigilant, we will mistake the markers for the meaning, and fail the test completely."

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