Philadelphia native performing in national tour

Philadelphia’s Iysiahs York said performing in the Friendship Cemetery in Columbus is going to be a lot of fun, especially since it is his first performance. 

“I’m really excited to be performing this year,” York said. “I’m telling the story of John Pitchlynn and the Choctaw Tribe in Mississippi. This is the first time a Native American story is being told in ‘Tales From the Crypt.’” 

York, son of Lucius and Twyla York of Philadelphia, is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a Philadelphia native and junior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the school producing the performance, which begins on April 12 and ends April 21. 

“Tales From the Crypt” has not only been a national finalist for The History Channel’s “Save Our History Award,” but it is also the winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” in publications such as The Atlantic and highlighted in James and Deb Fallows’ bestseller Our Towns. 

“All of last semester, we researched our topic and it took me three months to get everything together,” York said. “Since January we’ve been script writing and getting the whole production into action. Every year only a select few get chosen to be a performer and it’s such a blessing to be one. It’s something so monumental and it’s obviously a high expectation. The fun of it and hard work has been equally balanced.” 

At the start of the school year, 34 MSMS students in two 11th grade U.S. history classes began work on a project that included researching documents and rehearsing original scripts based on student research to bring Mississippians who are buried in the Friendship Cemetery (the setting for this year’s performance) “back to life” through dramatic performances. Nine students were shown to develop their characters this spring for visitors to “Tales From the Crypt.” Other researchers will serve as cemetery tour guides leading visitors among the performers. 

York will be among the historical performers. He researched a Circuit Court Case involving Sophia Pitchlynn, daughter of Choctaw District Chief John Folsom, and portrays her husband, John Pitchlynn. 

Pitchlynn, who was raised among the Choctaw, served as an interpreter between the Choctaw and U.S. government for negotiations leading up to the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. York’s performance explores the policy of Indian Removal and the events preceding the treaty which set the Choctaw Trail of Tears in motion and opened Choctaw land west of the Tombigbee River to white settlement.  

“I’ve never been a performer, and performing in a cemetery adds to the essence of what Tales From the Crypt is,” York said. “It brings a sense of life to it because you’re telling the story of the people who are connected to the cemetery. To get a better understanding of Tales From the Crypt, you need to be there for the performances. Everyone has a story, and it deserves to be told.”

“Tales From the Crypt” director Chuck Yarborough said the performances offer a more complete history of the community and help make history personal for the students as well as visitors. 

“Our students develop sophisticated research and writing skills along with critical thinking,” Yarborough said. “Then they’re challenged to turn what they learn into a public presentation. As we honor the contributions as well as the challenges of past Columbus residents, our students develop a strong ethic of community participation and service.”

Profits from program admissions are donated to charitable causes designated by the students. Over the previous 10 performance years, “Tales” has raised over $50,000 for charity.

“For 33 years, ‘Tales from the Crypt’ students have learned not only how to research and write, but also how they can make significant contributions to a Mississippi community,” Yarborough said. “The project has become a model for similar projects across the country.” 

“Tales from the Crypt” performances will be on the evenings of April 12, 14, 19, & 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Friendship Cemetery on Fourth Street South, Columbus.

Tickets are available on site and are $5 for general admission, and $3 for students.

Tickets may also be purchased at the Preservation Society of Columbus website at www. preservecolumbus.com. For more information on “Tales from the Crypt,” contact the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science at (662) 329-7670.