AAC Presents the Midwest Premiere of Forever Free starring St. Louis icon, Kathryn Bentley as Claudette Colvin!

Nine months before Rosa Parks made headlines and altered the course of civil rights history, fifteen year old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Claudette Colvin deserves to be a household name, enshrined in our history, uplifted for her sacrifice, so why do we never hear her story?

Forever Free, Inspired by the Life of Claudette Colvin sings an unsung song of the triumphs and hardships of a young woman facing the realities of systemic racism head on.

Alongside a fierce team of St. Louis’ finest creative minds (including Kathryn Bentley starring as Claudette Colvin and Jacqueline Thompson directing ) this incredibly captivating script from three-time Obie Award Winner, Stephanie Berry, is sure to usher in a theatrical experience unlike anything St. Louis audiences have seen.

Running November 5th-8th, 2026 at the Jefferson Avenue Mission, Forever Free brings this harrowing true story of unsung civil rights history to life.