Mrs. Schroeder

Tina Safford

Mrs. Schroeder is women who cannot be portrayed in this play without anger betrayal and sadness. As the mother to one of the four victims at Kent State, on May 4, 1970, she will will always remember that day as the day armed National Guardsmen shot and killed her innocent son and took his life many years before his time. She is a women who is brave enough to speak up about her feelings of wrongdoing by the government and the epic mishandling of the affairs and evidence by the FBI and other investigations. She is women riddled with fear and disgust that this nation is responsible for wrongfully killing her son and claiming his a fearsome radical. She is mother, and she has been mourning the death of her son for 44 years.

In a play such as this is it often hard to portray a character who is still alive and has such an emotional attachment to the story. But I would be honored to act as such a brave and passionate women who was adamant in finding in an apology from the government. As futile as words may be, any sign that the government acknowledged their mishandling was a step in the right direction and a direct outreach to the four grieving families.

Mrs. Schroeder, as well as many of the other family members of those lost on May 4th, have felt shafted by the investigation into the events on the that day. In a letter written to J. Gregory Payne, Mrs. Schroeder wrote on the subject of blame, stating, “For me, the blame goes all the way back to the beginning. The Pentagon did not enforce the Army rules and regulations for the National Guard, and the President considered the students "bums", and the Governor was seeking political acclaim. The individuals who actually did the killing will have to live with their consciences for the rest of their lives.” She claims that the way to right this horrific wrong in the future is to humanize military action. Her son had every right to walk were he was walking, and under no condition should be have been rightfully shot. We must all take this matter to our houses, our schools, our churches, and our meeting places to fix this system.

While Mrs. Schroeder will grieve the untimely loss of her son for as long as she shall live, she still cherishes the time he was able spend with her and his loving, lively spirit. She vowed many years ago never to cry in public again, but has spent many evening crying in private, betrayed by our government and out system to face the loss of her child. It is in her honor, and the honor of Bill Schroeder that I will take on this role and fulfill it to the best of my ability.

Within the play, her voice will be filled with love and endless hope for Bill, her lost son, and an endless sense of loss as her dream of ever finding a conclusion and responsible shorter grows smaller as every year passes. It is now almost 45 years after the event, Bill would be 65 years old and she would have been able to live out their lives together. It is evident that she appreciated him so much while he was alive that losing him so soon is more than any mother should ever have to bear. It is with this great sorrow and love that I will portray Mrs. Schroeder is our production of Kent State: A Requiem.