Democracy comes alive during series of performances

History came alive last Tuesday and Wednesday as faculty, students and professional actors came together to put on a series of performances depicting monumental figures and events in U.S. History.

Historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas were just some of many historical figures that came alive to discuss and debate their stances on important issues, such as women’s rights, civil rights and the Progressive movement.

George Frein, who portrayed Abraham Lincoln at the event, said the point of the performance was to “help people think about the democracy that they live in.” He added that the performance was also held to better educate and help people understand history by having them “think about it through the minds of historic figures.”

One event depicted a mock slave auction of an escaped slave, Pinky, who was just nine years old at the time. The slave auction was held in the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, where Pastor Henry Ward Beecher won the freedom for a young Sally “Pinky” Diggs at a cost of $900.

After she was granted freedom, Beecher presented her with a ring that was placed in the collection box and said, “With this ring I thee wed you to your freedom.” Pinky later returned to the congregation in 1926 to return the ring and share her successes with the people that made them possible.

Lynn C. Miller, author of The Fool’s Journey and the Death of a Department Chair, said that the overall purpose of the performances was to act as a “teaching process for people.”

“Our job was to introduce a person of value to people. To show that history isn’t this dead thing, and that you can really interact with it. To educate people,” she said.

--Taylor Paraboschi