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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Is your organization looking for a fund raiser or Black History Month event. I have an en</span></strong><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>tertaining and educational Black History Month play to offer to an organization as a fund raiser. The play requires no set or formal stage. See Plot Summary below. </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>Contact Gregory J. Lavelle at (440) 724-4538 or <a href="mailto:lavellearb@aim.com">lavellearb@aim.com</a> for more information. </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>PLOT SUMMARY</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> The play is set in the parlor of a mansion on a cotton plantation in Alabama in February of 1860, the year before the start of the Civil War. James Forsythe, age 25, has just returned from studying in the North after the sudden death of his mother. When informed that his father is dying and that he must take over the plantation, he forces a moral dilemma. He has come to believe that slavery is wrong and determines to free his slaves. When Benjamin, his chief slave, makes him realize that the slaves are bound more by their lack of education than their chains, James determines to bring in a teacher to educate the slaves before they are freed. James recruits a teacher, Eve, with whom he falls in love. </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>James faces challenges by the other plantation owners who employ various economic measures and finally resort to threats of violence to attempt to ensure that James is not successful. With the common sense, savvy and help of Benjamin and the surprising wisdom of his “simple” Aunt Emily he is able to sell his crop and free the slaves.</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> The play contains much historically accurate information about the Underground Railroad and pioneer African-Americans in the fields of law, religion, medicine and politics before the Civil War. The play also provides insights into the economics of slavery and the interrelationships of plantation owners, slaves and sharecroppers. The play makes the point that only through education can a person really be free to pursue his dreams. African-American members of a choir can be utilized to sing spirituals at the close of the first act and at intermission. Any number of African-Americans can participate in the slave house scene and any number of African-American children can participate in the school scene. </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>