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The Trial of Mumia Abu Jamal

On a cool spring day while departing from directing a video concerning domestic violence with my cast a crew we came upon volunteers who were placing flyers and posters on walls and door fronts. On one of these flyers was a familiar face, a face that had been etched into my mind years ago. That face belonged to Mumia Abu Jamal. Now I remember hearing about this former Black Panther journalist who was on death row in Pennsylvania since 1982 for the shooting death of a Philadelphia police officer in December of 1981. This case at that time was on the minds and lips of many because the trial he received seemed to be one-sided against Mumia. However what I did not know was he now stood just months away from his scheduled execution on the birthday of our founding father, Marcus Garvey. As a strong believer in "You can't fail if you try," and "Old man can't died years ago" I was easily persuaded by cast and crew into delaying our previous production and eager to embark on a new production. A new production which would introduce Mumia's plight to the "court of public opinion."

"The Trial of Mumia Abu Jamal," first premiered in New York City on June 22, 1995, as a "play within a play." An interesting format of storytelling which allow the audience to interact with the actors and be an intricate part of the production. After a six week run off-Broadway and attendance over six thousand, "The Trial of Mumia Abu Jamal" came to a close in August of the same year. However as rallies and support for Mumia grew, we were requested by several supporters and organizations to hold another run of the production. Ironically we agreed to just a day after Mumia was granted a stay of execution. After a two month run we wrapped on production, but not until our audience climbed to over twelve thousand in less than four months.

Now in 2004, we have witnessed the execution of those whose guilt were questionable, but their deaths final. How many more are you willing to lose? I hope you agree one is too many and two wont be tolerated. I cannot nor will not sanction the death or imprisonment of any human being based on unjust unwarranted verdicts by those who feel it is their constitutional right to execute or condemn because the man in the dark robe told them they can. "It takes two weak people to agree, but only one strong to disagree."

I hope to communicate with you further in the near future in the hopes of bringing this production to screen. This play within a play which is actually a film documentary is something never before seen. With added information and a fresh innovative approach the updated version is sure to be more pleasing and informative than the original. If you are interested in assisting in any way I am willing and pleased to discuss with you any details you may desire. If not, I wish you continued success.

Thank you for lending me your ear.

Kevin Cooper