NBC Chicago Releases ‘The Lost Story Of Emmett Till: Trial In The Delta’

NBC Chicago (WMAQ) and the Collaboraction Theatre Company bring to life the Emmett Till murder trial in a staged theatrical adaptation The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta.

Based on the official 1955 trial transcripts, NBC Chicago produced an extension of Collaboraction’s original play, Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, co-written by Willie Round and G. Riley Mills. The reenactment gives viewers a front row seat to the monumental injustices that happened over five days in a Mississippi courtroom.

Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire subscribers can watch the reenactment now on NBC Chicago’s apps. Spearheaded by award-winning journalist Marion Brooks, the program is the second installment of NBC Chicago’s docuseries on Emmett Till.

Brooks said: “When I discovered this transcript, I was blown away. The words really take you back to what America was like in 1955. It was important for me to bring that lost history to life so our viewers can really see, hear and feel what happened during the murder trial of Emmett Till.”

Anthony Moseley, Collaboraction artistic director and co-director of Trial in the Delta, said: “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with NBC5 and Marion Brooks to bring our live, immersive theatrical experience, Trial in the Delta, to a TV viewing audience. There are many plays about Emmett Till, but they were fictions created out of horrid facts that only guessed at the actual language. Trial in the Delta is the first public theatrical exploration of the actual courtroom transcript. So when people experience how everything actually went down in that Mississippi courtroom, the impact is even more disturbing.”

The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta features actors portraying Mamie Till, other family members and witnesses for the defense and prosecution. The docu-style drama is also available on NBCChicago.com.