It all began in a bookstore.I knew almost nothing about Sojourner Truth when I picked up a Young Adult biography of her not far from where she group up in the Hudson River Valley as a slave on a small Dutch farm. I didn’t even know there were Northern slaves! In a way I never cold have predicted, she and I began building a future together.

When I learned that she had completely reinvented herself reinventing herself after being a Northern slave for 30 years, I was hooked. Sojourner Truth! What an amazing name to give yourself! What an incredible woman! I remember thinking. Wouldn’t it be amazing to bring her to life on the stage? In that moment, Our adventure began.

My play, Dust of Egypt, is about a true, little known event in her life: her heroic fight to rescue her little 5-years old son Peter after he was sold and illegally taken down South. She became the first Black woman to sue a slave owner in court. Against all odds, she won!

It’s taken me more than 20 years to get the play from the page to the stage. Now, I am thrilled to share with you something wonderful! This March, Dust of Egypt will have a full-production, 4-week, 16-show run at Sheen Center for Thought and Culture’s beautiful Frank Shiner Theater in NYC! Our incredible cast will be able to get reviews and, perhaps even awards, for their stirring performances. But fundraising is challenging! My amazing KWD reader, Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher, gave an incredibly generous donation to help us stage the play, for which I will be forever grateful! I’m hoping my other cherished KWD readers will also give us a hand by contributing to my play budget and sharing this with their friends. Here is the link: Support Sojourner Truth for Women’s History Month. 

One of my beloved readers, Lise Fattel generously donated to my play fund and actually came to an earlier short run of the play—I was so excited to see her! I hope some of you will join her. Here is the ticket link (please hit the More Showings button to see all the dates in March): https://www.sheencenter.org/events/detail/dust_of_egypt If you do make it to a show, please let me know!

Many thanks! And now, let’s all write on!