Liberty or death, for Harriet Tubman, it was one or the other.
Living in bondage was not an option for the great abolitionist who escorted hundreds of slaves to freedom in the 19th century. Some local artists want to remind audiences of Tubman’s legacy and her place in American history.
“The Escape! The Underground Railroad” is a stage production that unites dance, music and dramatic interpretation, to tell the story of Tubman and her efforts to liberate hundreds of people from slavery.
Produced by Raymond Young and stars Regina Hodges as Harriet Tubman, “The Escape!” will play at 33 p.m. on Saturday, February 24 at New Mercies Christian Church of Lillburn, GA.
The play first premiered this past February as part of the church’s Black History Month programming, said Young, artistic director of Dedication Dance Academy. It proved so popular that Young decided to bring it back for another show.
“There is a lot of people who do not know the story of Harriet Tubman,” Young said behind the decision to use the stage to highlight her life and contributions to American history. “She is noted as one of the greatest American women in American History.”
During the Obama era, plans were made to make Tubman the new face of the $20 bill, replacing President Andrew Jackson, who was a slave owner. Earlier this year, it was announced that the release of the proposed $20 bill bearing Tubman’s image would be delayed until as far as 2028 because of technical issues, according to Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
Young said the delay on the new bill added motivation to display Tubman’s life and history on the stage. “It is another reason this story must be told,” he said.
The play follows Tubman as she risks her life, making different trips through the Underground Railroad to lead other enslaved people into freedom, said Hodges, who portrays Tubman.
“I channeled who she was and her journey. I could literally feel the intensity of each time she made a run,” Hodges said. “I took on the essence of who she was, who she is, what she did and what she meant.”
For Hodges, who’s been an actress since 1982, embodying Tubman has been the biggest challenge of her career.
“This character reached far down to my very soul,” she said, “It moved me to a place as an actress that I have never been before.”
However, the experience was transformative and allowed her to become more in tune with her history and her capabilities as a Black woman living in America, she said.
“It is like being reborn; I have a greater sense of who I am as a Black woman living in a country that hates me because of the color of my skin,” Hodges said.
The stage design, lighting and costumes are set to draw the audience into the grim reality of slavery and the Underground Railroad.
“It is going to transcend their imagination as if they were actually in a place of bondage,” Young said.
The play will also feature performances from Dedication Dance Academy students who will display renditions of liturgical dance, which aims to use the body to give worship and honor unto God, Young said. He wants the audience to leave inspired and with a renewed appreciation for Tubman and her fight to stand against slavery.
“We are going to offer a production that will inspire the audience to dream again,” Young said. “If it wasn’t for Harriet Tubman so many people will not be living the American dream.”
