In what should be a very powerful event, the Ames Few Dance and Theatre Company will present “I’ll Fly Away: Stories Of Liberation” at the Ames Middle School on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 2 and 8 p.m.

“I chose stories that spoke to the spirit of African people and how they made it through slavery,” Ingrid Askew, conceiver and director of the play said. According to Askew, the play encompasses dance, African folklore, spoken word and African dance music that is both live and recorded.

The play is built around a compilation of works from black writings.

“It opens up with slave narratives from logs written in the 1920s and ’30s,” Askew said.

The play then moves on to a riot that took place in Atlanta in 1906. From there, the setting is an integrated high school in Little Rock, Ark. where we see Elizabeth Eckford, a black student trying to adjust to life in the school.

Other important pieces are also highlighted in the play. A poem from the 1960s is used and the play moves into the 1990s with “Praise Song Challenge.”

“It is a beautiful piece that gives the history of struggle in a creative way,” Askew said.

Askew, who is from Amherst, Mass., is a guest artist visiting Iowa for eight weeks.

She has been working in theater as an actress and director for about 15 years. Askew also owns her own theater company called First-World Images.

“I am a very visual person,” Askew said. “I really like taking a text and putting music to it.” Most of Askew’s work deals with the dismantling of racism and social justice.

Karen Donaldson, who is the director of the play, believes it is very important for the 1990s .

“It bridges the gap in understanding diversity,” Donaldson said. “It definitely deals with modern issues, such as racism,” she added.

Donaldson said most of the actors in the play are professional actors. “They range from high-school age on up,” said Donaldson.

“We would like to get people out and celebrate different cultures,” Donaldson added.

Tickets for the play will be available at the Stomping Grounds, First Edition Cafe, and the Octagon Center for Arts. Prices are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, children and students with ID.