Play About 'The Mighty Vandals' to be Performed in Miami

A  play about the 1951 Miami Vandals basketball team will be performed in Miami this Saturday and Sunday (October 26 and 27).

The play is called “The Mighty Vandals” and it had a successful premier run at the Peoria Performing Arts Center. 

The story takes place from 1947 to 1951, before the Supreme court banned segregation in public schools. Although Miami High School was integrated, the town’s neighborhoods, elementary schools, and other public facilities were segregated.

The 1951 Vandals team was made up of mostly Mexican and Mexican American teens from the poor side of Miami. The team was considered one of the greatest high school basketball teams in the nation. They broke nine national high school records and 18 state records on their way to a perfect season in 1951.

The performances in Miami are sponsored by the Miami Unified School District and Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold. They will start at 7:30pm on Saturday, October 26 and at 2:pm on Sunday, October 27, in the Miami High School auditorium.

Tickets are $8, $5 for students and seniors.