On the Levee

Set in Greenville Mississippi, On The Levee is an epic musical play that uproots the almost forgotten Mississippi flood of 1927, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history pre-Katrina. At the heart of the story are two fathers and sons: LeRoy Percy, a white cotton farmer, and his poet-son Will, and Joe Goodin, an African-American bootblack and his son James, a self-proclaimed lady’s man. Stranded on the levee with 180,000 other black folk Joe tries to preserve his way of life while James hopes to inspire change for the black people who are stranded. Likewise, LeRoy attempts to preserve his labor force by keeping the blacks in town but his son Will challenges his authority and what ensues is more destructive than any flood. Based on a true story, On The Levee is a powerful, illuminating history that reaffirms the enduring spirit of hope in a time of great poverty and devastation.