As fear of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the country and just days after the first reported case arrived in Mississippi, MSMS has decided to cancel the extremely popular and well-known MSMS staple, “Tales from the Crypt.” This, along with all the other fallout affecting the MSMS community, is a developing story. “Tales from the Crypt” director and MSMS history teacher Chuck Yarborough released the following statement:

“Tales from the Crypt” 2020, an award-winning research-performance project of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, is canceled for this year.

“We are committed to the safety of our students as well as our broader community,” said Dr. Germain McConnell, MSMS Executive Director. “Federal and state health officials have recommended cancellation of meetings and events with attendance of greater than 250.  In keeping with that guidance, we have decided to cancel the 30th annual ‘Tales from the Crypt’ performances.”

Performances for 2020 were scheduled for March 27 and 30, and April 1 and 3 in Columbus’s historic Friendship Cemetery.

A highly anticipated annual program, “Tales from the Crypt” has received the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and was a national finalist for The History Channel’s “Save Our History” Award. “Tales” has also been featured on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” published in “The Atlantic” and highlighted in James and Deb Fallows’ Bestseller Our Towns.

“Our students have been working diligently to increase our community’s understanding of itself through history,” said Chuck Yarborough, “Tales” director and MSMS social sciences instructor. “For 30 years, Tales from the Crypt students have learned not only how to research, write and perform, but also how they can make significant contributions to a local community. Clearly, this year and these conditions require a new consideration of what is best for our entire community.”

For more information on Tales from the Crypt, contact Chuck Yarborough at MSMS, [email protected].