'The Next King' shows young audiences the power of civic action

July 18th, 2024

"The Next King" (Courtesy of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and PNC)

In the jungle wilderness, civic action’s power is proudly displayed as rainforest creatures come together to elect a leader. The new short play, “The Next King,” shows young audiences how they can make a change in their communities.

It’s on stage this Saturday, July 20, at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and again on Saturday, Aug. 24. “The Next King” is part of the museum’s Kidspiration summer youth civics engagement series presented by PNC.

Playwright, director, educator and actor Nikki Toombs is the creative behind “The Next King.” She joined Kim Drobes on “City Lights” to discuss the upcoming play.

Toombs set the play in the Congolian rainforest, where the animal characters face unrest due to issues related to human-caused deforestation. Through conversation and listening, they discover the power of collective decision-making and engaged civic discourse.

Toombs wanted the play to speak to audiences of all levels and shared with Drobes some of her insights that went into the production, reminding her that “learners of all ages sometimes have to learn through play.”

According to Toombs, using the arts as an educational medium allows learners to learn lessons in places where they least expect them.

“It has proven time and time to be an effective way of engaging students and also having them walk away feeling not only educated – but empowered and emboldened to go out and be the change makers that we want to see them become.”