Mondee Tilley/The News
Mike Wiley leads a group of people from the audience that he recruited to be in his act, as they stroll across the stage at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History’s Annex on Thursday night.
Mondee Tilley/The News
Mike Wiley is playing the part of Jackie Robinson while he is getting ready to incorporate Vincent Stevens into his act.
Mondee Tilley/The News
Mike Wiley, left, plays a role with Fred Deweese, who is acting as boxer Joe Louis during a program Thursday night at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History’s Annex.
As part of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History’s programming for Black History month, actor and playwright Mike Wiley returned again this year to tell the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play national league baseball.
Thursday night, Wiley performed his one-man act, “A Game Apart: The Life of Jackie Robinson,” at the museum’s annex to a crowd of 87.
Amy Snyder, curator of collections at the museum, said she was happy with the turnout for Wiley’s performance.
“We are always pleased when people come out and participate in our programming. We were especially pleased to have Mike back this year. He always puts on an outstanding performance and gets the crowd involved. Everyone had a great time,” said Snyder.
During the show, Wiley uses audience participation to incorporate characters like Wilma Rudolph, who was considered the fastest woman in the world. She ran in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic games. Debbie Williams was called out of the audience to play her role. Wiley had her waving and showing off her medals.
Fred Deweese also was called up to play the role of boxer Joe Louis. Deweese pretended to box with Wiley while he made fun of his lack of hair. All in good humor, Deweese put the baseball glove on his head to simulate hair.
Wiley talked about how Robinson thanked the Lord, his mother, his minister and his brother Mack for his career in baseball. His said although his brother won a bronze medal, the country turned its back on the black athletes and his brother wound up becoming a street sweeper.
Wiley talked about how even though Robinson played football, basketball, baseball and ran track in high school, he knew that a black man wasn’t going to get far in this country, so he joined the Army, which greatly upset his fiancée.
After leaving the Army, Robinson got a call from Ryan Scott who wanted to try “The Noble Experiment,” which was to have Robinson become the first African-American baseball player.
“He said, ‘Folks are going to throw rocks at you. They will cuss you. They will slander you. Are you sure you want to do this?’”
Wiley explained that during one game of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team Robinson played for, when they were changing pitchers, the crowd started throwing things at him until Pee Wee Reese came over and put his arm around him and everyone quieted down.
“That is just a testament to the power of love and what one person can do,” said Wiley.
Then Wiley told the story of a basketball player on a team that was playing UNC-Chapel Hill. He said the player fouled a UNC player and every time he got the ball, the crowd booed him. He said that went on through the first half until the coach finally had to take him out. Then, Coach Roy Williams came over and put his arm around the player and the crowd left him alone the rest of the game.
“That’s the power of the person who is the mouthpiece of the world. They have the opportunity to touch other people’s lives,” said Wiley.
After the show, Wiley said he originally wrote the show for children, but because of his acting show, he can make it a show for people of all ages.
“I love coming back to this area. Every year coming, the audiences get bigger,” said Wiley. “Everyone keeps coming back, so there are always a number of familiar faces in the audience. Sometimes people will come up to me before the show and say, ‘You picked me last year. Don’t pick me this year. I brought someone with me for you to pick on this year.’ They all have their memories from the past shows and it’s wonderful to be able to have a fan base here.”
Wiley thanked the museum and the Surry Arts Council for asking him to come back year after year.
Wiley’s performance was funded in part by a sub-grant from the Grassroots program of the North Carolina Arts Council. The museum partnered with the Surry Arts Council to offer the program for at no cost.
Young Dillon Mosley said he enjoyed the funny parts of the show, but he also liked to learn about how Jackie Robinson was the first black professional baseball player. His friend, Jake Tweet, said he enjoyed the program as well.
Deweese said it was his third time to come to the museum to see Wiley perform.
“It’s outstanding. This is really good. We need to have him come here more often,” said Deweese.
Reach Mondee Tilley at mtilley@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1930.
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