Rickmansworth woman commemorates Kent State shootings

Penny Merlin-Woods, 63, was among 41 participants in 13 Seconds in Kent State – an online performance looking back at when four students were killed by the US’ National Guard while protesting the expansion of the war into Cambodia.

Following the digital play, put on by The Outcasts Creatives, she said: “It is an incredibly emotional drama and we were all proud and honoured to be part of it, working with exceptionally talented actors.”

Production cast members

She added: “I felt it was an important story to be told about the Kent State University shootings that happened 51 years ago, when I was 11 years old.”

Penny said the students’ parents took court action against the authorities for infringing their rights to protest peacefully, and this is the story of the court case – which raises issues people can relate to today.

Penny started attending acting classes in her late 50s and The Outcasts Creatives was one of the groups she joined.

During lockdown the group, run by Lance Nielsen and Dickon Tolson, started to do weekly table reads over Zoom, which Penny describes as “a godsend for all the people involved, keeping us sane, focused, connected, keeping depression at bay”.

Penny Merlin-Woods

Most of the actors have never met in person but thanks to Zoom they were able to work with people all over the UK, in America and Australia.

Everyone had been working on the play for free since October, with it finally being aired for the first time late last month.

Poster

Production cast members