News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Warren Arts Foundation presents a show about American unity with their upcoming production of “Oh Freedom! The Story of the Underground Railroad.”
The show opens later this month. it features a series of vignettes featuring prominent American historical figures like Harriet Tubman, John Rankin, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Warren Arts Executive Director Sheri Denning said that they want the production to highlight the stories of the Underground Railroad in a new way.
“It’s going to be very different than any other staged performance that anyone has seen at Warren Arts and possibly anywhere,” Denning said. “We use a lot of different types of methods.”
Denning said those methods include song, dance, soliloquys and poems to tell the story. She said the format of the show reminds her of how Maya Angelou used to do engagements.
“This show reminds me so much of how she would do her one-woman shows where she would recite poetry and then she would give a soliloquy, and then she would break out into song or maybe do a little dance in her younger days,” Denning said. “This show is very much like that.”
She said that with Juneteenth coming up next week, they hope that it will put the story of the Underground Railroad and the message of helping others at the forefront of people’s minds.
“June 19th being the date of emancipation for slaves for our country, Juneteenth celebrations allow us to focus on that at least once a year and I hope people will think about it more and will realize that even if they feel like there’s nothing they can do, every individual has a chance to help another person,” Denning said. “These were major acts that these folks did, and put their lives on the line to help folks get to freedom but it doesn’t have to be so grandiose as that– it can be really anything, it can be offering a helping hand.”
Denning said that in honor of Juneteenth, Warren Arts is partnering with Young Men United to give a preview of the show. The performance will be free at Young Men United’s Juneteenth celebration on Saturday June 19th at 2:00 p.m. at the Bernard Community Center.
The show opens officially at the Warren Arts Mainstage on Friday, June 25th at 7:00 p.m. for one weekend only.
