Prior to the Charlottesville debacle regarding a Confederate general’s statue in summer 2017, I had been researching for some time on the life of Frederick Douglass.  Before the uproar over the Robert E. Lee’s likeness in a public park in Old Dominion, I had taken up Douglass scholarship to learn about America’s slave past, the Civil War, and its aftermath, because so much in our current civic discussion has been affected by the historical reality of slavery.  I was interested in developing a theatrical work about Douglass’ life, which I believed would entertain the audience, while elevating public discourse about race relations in America. The first element of Douglass’ life that caught my attention, and which I had not known previously, was that he had a personal, albeit limited, friendship with Abraham Lincoln.  They first met face-to-face during Douglass’ unannounced visit to the White House in August 1863, a few weeks after...(Read Full Article)