PAUL ROBESON and THE DOUGLASS-LINCOLN DEBATES Come to Harriet Tubman Theater

A rare theatrical double bill will feature three performances of Paul Robeson and The Douglass-Lincoln Debates by Douglas D. Miron. Both dramas will be presented in celebration of Black History Month, February 28th and March 1st 2025 at the Harriet Tubman Theater, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Paul Robeson stars former Cincinnati City Councilman Wendell Young as Robeson. Avery Hammonds directs. With Robeson's signature "Ol' Man River," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and other spirituals and popular songs, the play chronicles Robeson's early life and career as he uses cheerful defiance, sly humor, and unflagging courage to overcome racism as one of the first blacks at Rutgers University and the first on its football team. Robeson reminisces about his struggle to live life on his own terms, his singing and acting talents ensuring his star is on the rise when he is cast by Eugene O'Neill's for his play All God's Chillun Got Wings.

The Douglass-Lincoln Debates by Douglas D. Miron stars Steffon Sharpless as author-activist publisher, abolitionist leader and former slave Frederick Douglass; playwright Miron portrays President Abraham Lincoln in this inspirational fact-based historical drama about the three face-to-face meetings of these noble leaders who inspired Americans during the darkest days of the Civil War and who, despite their differences, worked together for the good of all Americans and to save our nation. Says playwright Miron, "The two men met in person on 3 occasions between 1863 and 1865, and formed an unlikely friendship and inspiring example of how civil discourse can flourish across apparent divides."

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company with Actors & Playwrights Collaborative in conjunction with national Underground Railroad Freedom Center are presenting the theatrical double-bill. Don Sherman, Executive Director of Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, says, "These two one-act plays feature upstanding leaders and role models from our nation's history. It's an entertaining, educational, and inspiring show."

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