History of Arguable Consequence: The Undertold Stories of the American Civil War
lyric for Frances E. W. Harper
Francis E.W. Harper ($25): Lead/Female/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Midwestern or Southern accent. Harper was a prominent African-American poetess and orator, best known for championing abolition, civil rights, women's rights, and temperance. She lectured across America during a time when women rarely spoke in public. She helped organize and held office in several national advocacy organizations. For more about Harper, read this. For this role, we're looking for a young adult to middle age, a voice that's hopeful and optimistic. Can be soft, but should also be strong.
ABOUT THE ROLE: We're looking for an actress willing to tackle Frances E.W. Harper's poem "Then and Now." There are a lot of prominent historical figures mentioned in the poem, such as Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, to name a few. Read more about the Read the full text of Then and Now.
Along with Harper, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd).
And, like a vision fair and bright
The new world broke upon their sight.
Men grasped the prize, grew proud and strong,
And cursed the land with crime and wrong.
The Indian stood despoiled of lands,
The Negro bound with servile bands,
Oppressed through weary years of toil,
His blood and tears bedewed the soil.
To-night we would bring our meed of praise
To noble friends of darker days;
The men and women crowned with light,
The true and tried in our gloomy night.
To Lundy, whose heart was early stirred
To speak for freedom an earnest word;
To Garrison, valiant, true and strong,
Whose face was as flint against our wrong.
Freedom your native land to bless
With peace, and love and righteousness,
As dreams that are past, a tale all told,
Are the days when men were bought and sold;
Now God be praised from sea to sea,
Our flag floats o'er a country free.
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