The History Lesson

Set in 1860, The History Lesson tells the story of Hattie Rose, a young, enslaved woman who defies the confines of slavery by secretly learning to read and write under the tutelage of Frank Turner, Esq., a man kidnapped into slavery. Lewis, her father, hardened by decades of survival, confronts Turner in a contest of wills weighing the value of an education against the brutal consequences of breaking the law, which forbade the enslaved from learning to read and write. Amid rising tensions of forbidden knowledge and the discovery of a love triangle, Hattie Rose and Frank acknowledge their feelings for one another, revealing a deep bond forged through compassion and shared struggle. Written by founder of Somewhere in Time Productions, and local playwright, Malanna Henderson, the play’s themes include courage versus fear, education as empowerment and the pursuit of freedom against all odds.