VOICES OF THE EIGHTH PART III: HALLOWED GROUND Comes to Gamut Theatre Group

Sankofa African American Theatre Company and Gamut Theatre Group are collaborating this February to present Sharia Benn’s latest work: Voices of the Eighth Part III: Hallowed Ground. The show runs February 15 through March 2, 2025. Tickets are “pick your price”, at a recommended price of $39 or discounted prices of $27 or $15. 

Sharia Benn, President and Executive Artistic Director of Sankofa African American Theatre Company, local playwright, and living history interpreter, returns with a powerful continuation of her Historic Old Eighth Ward play, Voices of the Eighth. This series of original works, written and directed by Benn, is produced as a partnership between Sankofa African American Theatre Company, Gamut Theatre Group, and Dauphin County Commissioners. They have been working together to celebrate Black History Month for seven years, resulting in thousands of students in Dauphin County having been able to see five live productions and one digital production during the pandemic.

In the first installment of Voices of the Eighth, produced in 2020, we meet the main character, Kay, who goes on a journey through the Old Eighth Ward. In Voices of the Eighth Part III: Hallowed Ground, Kay is now four years older and struggling with the demands of college, family, and life. Desperate for guidance, Kay ventures to Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery. However, her plans are disrupted when Kayah, the fierce “SOAL” warrior dedicated to preserving the city’s crumbling Black cemetery, intervenes. Kayah calls upon the ancestors to help Kay learn from the past so she can reclaim her future. Will Kay find the strength to course-correct before it’s too late? 

Voices of the Eighth Part III: Hallowed Ground was inspired by the incredibly important work that individuals and organizations are doing to restore Black cemeteries, like Rachel Williams & Saving Our Ancestors Legacy (SOAL) at Lincoln Cemetery in Harrisburg, PA. We invite you to learn more by visiting https://qrco.de/Soal.

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