On Feb. 23, 24 and 26, Mississippi State University’s theatre department is putting on a production of “All American Boys.”
“All American Boys” is based on a novel by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and adapted for the stage by Jody Drezner Alperin and Vicky Finney Crouch.
The play is centered around a young man named Rashad, who is framed for a robbery he did not commit and becomes a victim of police brutality. The play discusses how the incident impacts everyone around Rashad, not just himself. Rashad’s family and his best friend play a big part in the play.
Vernell Allen, a senior theatre major at MSU, is the director of the play.
“I want people to see both sides of the story,” Allen said, “or better yet, see that there are no ‘both sides’ but that we are all together.”
This is the first play Allen has directed, but he has been involved in other plays as well.
“My favorite part of theatre is directing— the process of taking something from my mind,” Allen said, “and putting it out on stage not only with my vision, but others’ vision and coming together to make it happen. It is a stressful, fun and rewarding process.”
Rodney Saulsberry II, a senior finance major at MSU, plays Rashad Butler, the young man this play is centered around. This is Saulsberry’s third production that he has been involved in at MSU. The cast and crew have been working hard to get the play on its feet since last semester.
“January, we hit the ground running,” Saulsberry said. “It has been a little more than a month, so everybody has been working at a good pace and it is fun to see it all come together.”
Since this play deals with such a relevant issue, it really hits home with many of the cast members, and they hope it will hit home for the audience as well.
“It is a very important message that a lot of people get desensitized to,” Saulsberry said. “It just hits home for me because it literally could have been me. It could have been my friends. It was simply a wrong place, wrong time situation.”
The play not only talks about Rashad and his family’s point of view, but also incorporates everyone else’s points of view.
“I think seeing this play will help start a conversation,” Saulsberry said, “and the conversation will hopefully continue even after the play.”
Kelan Traylor, a junior communication major at MSU, plays Spoony, Rashad’s brother. 
“This play builds a lot of awareness,” Traylor said. “It is a really big eye opener for a lot of people who may not know what is happening in the world.”
This play has been in the works since March of last year, and auditions were held in the fall of 2021. This is Traylor’s first play to be involved in at MSU. It took him a while to get involved, but when he did, he went big.
“I told myself it is time to stop being scared and it is time to start taking risks,” Traylor said. “This is something I have always wanted to do. At the end of the day my dream has been acting.”
The cast and crew hope that this play will have an impact on MSU, especially during Black History Month.
“I hope people really sit and take it in,” Saulsberry said. “I hope people really let the message linger with them and even weeks later they think about the play”
“When the final curtain closes, I want people to walk away with a better sense and a better understanding of the people around them,” Allen said, “Not just the minorities, but everyone around them. I believe that everyone should be treated how we, ourselves, want and need to be treated. That takes patience, understanding and taking a moment to breathe and think about how we act. It is complicated, but complicated does not mean impossible.”
“All American Boys” will be running on the McComas Hall main stage Feb. 23, 24 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the university ticketing website.