Ray's one-man act inspires crowd in Mayer Theatre

By Kristina Chiapella

The audience in Mayer Theatre was witness to the stunning and provoking performance by Carl Ray, whose solo and autobiographical production "A Killing in Choctaw" depicted the moving events that have shaped who he is today.

Ray proved to be a charismatic figure with a perfectly choreographed presentation.

The audience laughed with him one moment and contemplated the devastating effects of racism the next.

The traumatic events of Ray's past began in his hometown of Choctaw, Ala., where the forces of racism and hate crimes were still rampant in the 1960s.

As Ray prepared to leave for Tuskegee Institute, the college of his dreams, an event happened that would turn his life upside down and torment him for years to come.

Ray was nearly beaten to death when a white man named Bill Carlisle became infuriated at the lack of "proper respect" from 18-year-old Ray, who simply omitted the word "sir" during a conversation.

On stage, Ray demonstrated how Carlisle had almost plunged a knife into his neck and explained how later that same day, Carlisle drove to Ray's house and shot his father eight times.

As Ray mimed the shooting on stage, he described how "it happened that quick, but in my mind it happened slow motion."

Ray's grieving process was magnified by the manner in which his father's death was handled in Choctaw.

The corrupt judicial system produced a mock trial, where instead of focusing on the murder that had occurred, Ray's behavior towards Carlisle was called into question.

He was told by the judge, "If you knew how to talk to white folks your daddy would still be alive."

This demonstration of the horrific attitudes permeating the South produced feelings of disappointment in Ray as he saw blacks treated as second-class citizens.

When he arrived at Tuskegee, Ray said he was "mentally and spiritually broken."

Consumed by grief, Ray was unable to focus on his studies and had lost faith in a God that had allowed his father to die.

It wasn't until recently that Ray was able to find solace, when he confronted a minister with the question: "What can you do when you can't forgive yourself?"

He was given the answer, "You can forgive yourself because God has forgiven you."

And although Ray says that he had wished many times that he could go back and say, "Yes, sir," this revelation and renewal of faith brought him to forgive Carlisle and let go of 40 years of anger and hatred.

Ray also hammered into the audience the importance of questioning why things happen.

After his father's murder, "I became tied to Bill Carlisle for the rest of my life," Ray said. First it was with feelings of fear, anger and hatred, but Carlisle's death nine years later left him with nobody to hate.

After reaching the point of forgiveness, said Ray, Carlisle became "almost a friend in a strange way. He's alive in me."

As a motivational speaker, Ray has touched the lives of many and has personally led thousands of young African-American boys across the country to tour historical African-American colleges.

After the show, in a "talk back," Ray described how the performance functions as a sort of catharsis that continues the healing process.

"In the beginning it was very tough," he said. "I had to do it because I'm facing my demons. Now I can do the play three or four times a day."

The show was both an engaging and provoking experience that explored the tragic events of Ray's past and a reflection of the racial conditions that made it all happen.

Professor Aldo Billingslea, who introduced Ray's performance on behalf of the Center of Performing Arts, says they hope to eventually show Ray's documentary at Santa Clara, as Ray continues to spread his message across the nation.

Contact Kristina Chiapella at (408) 551-1918 or kchiapella@scu.edu.