Marcia Cebulska
author
Marcia Cebulska is an award-winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter whose work has been read and performed internationally.
Based on hundreds of oral histories and personal interviews, Now Let Me Fly brings to life the real stories and real people behind the Brown v. Board case. Considered the most important U.S. Supreme Court decision ever, Brown v. Board pronounced "Separate But Equal" education illegal.
The Brown v. Board of Education case jump-started the civil rights movement by overturning the “separate but equal” law of the land. Years before the landmark Supreme Court case, brave citizens held grassroots meetings across the nation in homes, schools, church basements, and barbershops. In honor of their courage, Now Let Me Fly brings to life the unsung heroes and heroines who set the stage for legal action. Marcia Cebulska’s inspiring, educational, and entertaining play is based on oral histories and personal interviews with the real people involved in the struggle leading to Brown v. Board.
“Now Let Me Fly is a theatrical triumph echoing the authentic voices of the individuals whose courage led to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. Marcia Cebulska delivers an unforgettable experience.”
Cheryl Brown Henderson,
-- daughter of case namesake, Oliver Brown, and founder of the Brown Foundation
CRITICS PRAISE CEBULSKA'S WRITING
“Directing Now Let Me Fly, was a unique and special honor. The play brought together a powerful array of actors: Roger Aaron Brown, James McDaniel, and the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., Yolanda King. Cebulska’s play brings a period of our history alive that today many take for granted. It is a powerful and lasting reminder of how far we have come and the distance still yet to go.”
—Kevin Willmott, Academy Award–winning screenwriter
“The history-making heroes at the center of Now Let Me Fly are everyday people meeting an extraordinary moment with courage and conviction. What Cebulska does so powerfully is remind us that nothing about Brown v. Board could be taken for granted—the doubt, danger, and uncertainty of that moment are all given vivid life here so that diverse audiences can come to a compelling understanding of how this moment re-made the fabric of American life.”
—Darren Canady, playwright and director
Why Do I Write?
I Write Because...
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It helps me make sense of my life.
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I believe creativity to be one of human beings' greatest gifts.
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It makes me feel like I have goddess-like power and outrageous fun at the same time.
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I have a strong need to communicate.
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I have a strong need to communicate artfully.
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Every once in a while, I get a note from a reader or audience member saying:
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"Your play changed my life."
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"I laughed so hard! Thank you. Thank you."
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"That was my life up there--how did you know?"
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“I love this book so much that I could not put it down.”
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When I don't write, I feel adrift, cranky, and miserable.
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It's my own lame effort to change the world.
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I like to invent words. And worlds.
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Writing's got me by the heart, the brain, the neck and it won't let go.
