Beijing production of Martin Luther Kings stars Chinese man in lead

A 27-year-old American woman has brought the Martin Luther King story to China. King is played by actor Cao Li, who kind of looks like the civil rights hero.

200706250920The play's production in China is the brainchild of 27-year-old Caitrin McKiernan. She says she's surprised that she's been allowed to hold discussions on Chinese campuses about the Montgomery bus boycott and the freedom rides.

"I think that it shows that there's something happening right now in China," McKiernan says. "There's a moment, there's an opening that's happening that allows people to have these kinds of discussions, that allows the actors during one scene to hold signs that say 'freedom now' and to sing 'We Shall Overcome' on stage, and to show what civil disobedience is."

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