SARASOTA – An award-winning playwright presents a new one-act play, portraying how coexistence is possible, which coincides with Black History Month.
The play is called, “Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, A Walk to Respect,” a new staged reading.
The actor who plays Frederick Douglass, Joel King, says this play is a great opportunity to explore historical figures with great influence, but it’s also scary.
“Because you want to be factual,” Joel PE King said. “You want the energy of that particular character to truly resonate and for the audience to feel what people felt years ago.”
In terms of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, King says it comes to compromising without conflict. He says both these men came from dominant ways of life.
“As much as we’re different, we’re still alike, because they come from a very similar background, but of course, how that looks in detail is significantly different, which creates a different experience,” King said.
The collaboration between The Patterson Foundation and West Coast Black Theatre Troupe honor this month through its performance.
The director of the staged reading, Beth Duda, says the Patterson Foundation initiative is to bring people together to live in a world we would want to live in.
“We are delighted to be bringing this one-act play that really focuses on the unusual relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and the way they were able to come together and forge a friendship, even though they were ideologically opposed in many issues,” Beth Duda said.
Duda says she hopes the audience sees:
“The importance of not demonizing people who don’t see the world the same way you see it, but instead to lean in and through civic discourse and dialogue, being able to come to shared aspirations and work together to create the world we would all like to see,” Duda said.
King hopes the audiences leave with a sense of healing and a need to be proactive.
“Now that I know, what can I do different,” King said.
Those involved in the project leave you with a message: “If we decide to rise and fall together, we can begin that great walk to respect.”
The staged readings will be presented on Wednesday and Thursday night at 7:30 at Glenridge Performing Arts Center. And another reading will take place in the morning at 10 at the Manatee Community Foundation.
All the performances are sold out. But you can be put on the waiting list by calling The Patterson Foundation at 941-952-1413 and ask for Stacy to be put on the list.
If you do miss the performance, they’re planning on recording the performance to share the videos to students through Ed Explore SRQ.
For more information, you can visit the Patterson Foundation website.