The director of a new Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society play about racism and the media calls 'The Story', an exorcism of demons.

'The Story' was written by young American playwright, Tracey Scott Wilson, and originally performed in New York City. It will be performed in Bermuda at the Daylesford Theatre from February 13 and 18.

"Basically, "The backdrop for 'The Story' is this newspaper in a big city in the United States," said director John Zuill. "The plotline revolves around the murder of a white teacher. The only witness is his wife.

"The newspaper runs into trouble because it confuses confuse pictures of people, and assumes that the black person did it."

To cope with the barrage of criticism over the way it handles racial issues, the newspaper sets up a black department.

The play is being produced by Dionne Devoy. Some of the main characters include Pat Morgan, played by Jennifer Burrell who runs the department and wants to use her stories to better her community, and Yvonne Wilson (Kahlilah Smith) an ambitious young reporter.

"Yvonne is a person who wants to make it on her own terms," said Mr. Zuill. "She begins to realise that with the situation as it is and all the racial anxiety, she can manipulate the situation to her own advantage."

Mr. Zuill said the play is both a mystery, a thriller and a comedy. "It is a very clever play," said Mr. Zuill. "It doesn't have a message really, although it states the case very well. It is not trying to teach people something about racism that they don't already know. It is sort of an exorcism of a bad demon. It is quite dramatic.

"It is about the legacy of racism. It is about present day racism. It is about people's relationships. It is about what happens when we all live apart from each other. "It is about unfairness and what people do when you are not fair to them. It is about the liberties they think they are allowed to take when you take liberties with them."

Mr. Zuill said he knew he had to bring the play to Bermuda as soon as he saw it in New York. "I absolutely think Bermudians will be able to identify with it," he said. Although 'The Story' has won various accolades, Mr. Zuill felt it had been accepted quietly in New York. He felt that racially themed plays did not always go down well in New York City.

"Tracey Scott Wilson is a very young playwright," he said. "The play is a very mature play for her age, I must say. It is very well balanced and well written. It is very clever. "She does a lot of things which I haven't seen in other plays. For example, she cuts back and forth between scenes as though it were a film. It is quite fascinating."

Ms Wilson won the 2004 Kesselring Prize for playwriting and the 2004 Whiting Award, both for 'The Story' as well as the Van Lier Fellowship and the 2001 Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award. Her other work includes 'I Don't Know Why That Caged Bird Won't Shut Up', 'Exhibit #9', and 'Leader of the People'.

'The Story' was first produced at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York in December 2003.

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For more information about the play go to www.bmds.bm or telephone 292-0848 for tickets.