A bitter public battle erupts when it is revealed that the site of a new museum enshrining American liberty is the ground on which George Washington's slaves' house once stood. An African-American political activist occupies the site, demanding that the house be recreated as a reminder of the reality of slavery in our history and a memorial to the slaves' lives. He is opposed by a controversial African-American conservative author, who argues that blacks must lay aside their pursuit of victimhood if they are to achieve true equality. Their conflict is juxtaposed against the story of Oney Judge, one of Washington's slaves, as she struggles with the decision of whether to risk everything to escape her bondage. Moving in time between the present and the past, the play explores our relationship to troubling historical reality. How do we decide which elements of our history will be commemorated and which will be forgotten?
(This is the third part of a trilogy. See also Bee-luther-hatchee and Permanent Collection.)
- Drama
- |
- 100 - 120 minutes
- 2 W, 4 M, (6-9 actors possible: exactly 2 W, 4-7 M)
Content Notes: Adult language
Set: In the course of the play, a square (8 feet by 8 feet) is outlined with stakes and a rope. Other locations (a classroom in a museum, an office) are suggested.
