PORTLAND — Portland Ovations in collaboration with NAACP-Portland will stage “Warriors Don’t Cry,” a powerful one-woman play inspired by the award-winning memoir of the same title by Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals.

“Warriors Don’t Cry” stars Almeria Campbell and recounts the courageous story of 15-year-old Melba, who endures violence and discrimination as she and eight other African-American students integrate into Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.

Melba and her fellow student warriors, known as the Little Rock Nine, captured the world’s attention in 1957 as they struggled and triumphed in pursuit of equal education. Themes of fear and courage, isolation and community, education, history, the family and the nation all come through in Campbell’s portrayal of 21 characters.

The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Hannaford Hall on the University of Southern Maine campus.

At 6:30 p.m., Ovations Offstage will present a pre-performance lecture, “Struggles for Civil Rights: Local Stories.” Students from King Middle School will discuss their project “Small Acts of Courage: Memories of the Civil Rights Movement,” which involves students learning and telling important stories of local citizens. Julia Adams, a member of the Portland String Quartet, will join the students to discuss her own experience during the Civil Rights Movement.

For “Warriors Don’t Cry” tickets, $25, call 842-0800, visit the box office at Merrill Auditorium or log on to www.portlandovations.org.