Harriet Jacobs - The Kansas City Repertory Theatre

ISSUE 

09 STUDENT MATINEE SERIES LEARNING GUIDE 

NOVEMBER 

2010

From top: The cast of Harriet Jacobs; Nambi Kelley (Harriet) 

and Cheryl Lynn Bruce (Grandma); Cheryl Lynn Bruce 

(Grandma) and Phillip James Brannon (Tom/Ensemble). 

Photos: Bob Compton Photography.

Photo: Michael McClure 

Dear Friends, 

A LETTER FROM THE 

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 

Welcome to our production of Harriet Jacobs, a new play based on one of the most 

historically significant autobiographies ever published. 

I first encountered Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in college, and still 

remember how her powerful book rendered the history of slavery into something potent, 

felt and personal. Her personal account of the totalitarian system of control that subjected 

millions to untold suffering over hundreds of years changed the world by telling the truth. 

Harriet Jacobs is one of the great figures in American history, and she helped change the 

world by daring to tell her story. 

Many generations later, my dear friend Lydia Diamond has created a new play that brings 

fresh theatrical life to Jacobs’ story. In collaboration with one of my favorite directors, 

Jessica Thebus, and a truly brilliant acting ensemble and team of designers, we share a 

compelling, powerful vision of the triumph of the human spirit against unimaginable 

oppression and adversity. 

I am so proud to introduce this beautiful, harrowing new play to Kansas City audiences, and 

I am grateful to this wonderful company of artists for sharing their work with us. 

My very best, 

Eric Rosen 

Artistic Director 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre: Harriet Jacobs | 3

THE PLAY 

THE CHARACTERS 

Note: All roles are portrayed by African-American actors. 

HARRIET JACOBS 

LEARNING GUIDE | 2010 

Harriet Jacobs 

We meet Harriet, a slave on the Norcom plantation in Edenton, NC, when she is 15 years old. She possesses 

an intelligence and centeredness beyond her years. These traits are equally attributable to the strength 

that surely any slave must have had to endure, and a personal wisdom and acuity passed down from 

insightful parents and grandparents. Harriet has a social savvyness, a dexterity that serves her well both 

with her family, peers, and slave-owners. She is very educated, and slips easily between a more casual slave 

vernacular of the time to the formal language used in her writing, and when addressing the audience. She 

is not “putting this on” or “talking proper,” she is an adept and unconscious “code-switcher.” She is pretty, 

but does not embrace nor consciously exploit her looks; in her setting they are more often a liability than a 

blessing and she is aware of this. 

Grandma 

Harriet’s strong-willed, well-liked, free grandmother. 

Mary 

A house servant and field hand, Mary has fewer of Harriet’s social and language graces. She is in awe of, 

and dangerously jealous of, Harriet. 

Tom 

A field slave. Handsome, strong, good natured, and charismatic. He loves Harriet. 

Master Norcom 

The White Master. The town doctor, he carries himself with a confident swagger. He fancies himself a 

Godly, family man. 

Mistress Norcom 

The White Mistress. Once beautiful and carefree, she is a victim of her environment. She is hateful toward 

her female slaves and wary of her husband. She has born a child every year since her marriage at 17. 

Samuel Treadwell Sawyer 

A white lawyer from a prestigious family. He is intrigued by Harriet’s intellect and physically attracted to 

her. 

Daniel 

A field slave. 

Joseph and Louisa 

Harriet’s children. 

Cast members also play a variety of ensemble roles. 


THE PLAY 

THE STORY 

Setting: A crawl space measuring nine feet long, seven feet wide and three feet high and other 

locales in Edenton, North Carolina. 

Time Period: 1827-1832 



“I found my voice... so that my voice might find its way into the world….” 

- Harriet Jacobs 

Harriet Jacobs is inspired by the true story of Harriet Ann Jacobs, who wrote Incidents in the Life of a Slave 

Girl (1861), one of the first open discussions about the abuses endured by slave women. Playwright Lydia 

Diamond’s adaptation weaves other slave narratives and spirituals into Harriet’s story, resulting in a 

powerful testament of personal resilience and an unflinching look at the female slave experience. 

We meet Harriet in the tiny confines of the crawl space above her Grandmother’s house where she has 

found refuge. As the play begins, she appeals to the audience, “I must explain. If you would understand. 

Please. I try to understand myself. This reality that has brought me to, this reality. I try to make sense of it, 

and so I ask that you try as well.” 

Harriet’s life is different from many in her situation. She is educated, having been taught to read and write 

by a former mistress, and has never been physically harmed. As a house slave, her station in life is 

seemingly more comfortable than other slaves, like her friend Mary, who must also work in the field. And, 

she is fortunate to have access to her well-liked Grandmother, a freed slave, who passes down her wisdom 

and personal strength. 

But Harriet knows that, as a slave, her body is not her own. For years, starting at age 12, she has fended off 

the sexual advances of her master, Dr. Norcom, enduring his constant harassment along with the tirades of 

his jealous wife. For protection, she begins a relationship with a white, unmarried lawyer, Samuel Treadwell 

Sawyer, hoping this liaison will end her torment. Instead, Norcom continues to pursue her even after she 

bears Sawyer two children. When Norcom threatens to sell her children, Harriet plans her escape. 

Harriet’s story is, ultimately, one of survival and triumph. Though enslaved, she finds her voice, leaving us 

the legacy of her journey from slavery to freedom. 

The run time for Harriet Jacobs is approximately two hours, including intermission. 


THE PLAY 

THE AUTHOR 

HARRIET ANN JACOBS, 1813–1897 

Slave, freedom fighter, abolitionist, reformer and author, 

Harriet Ann Jacobs is best remembered today primarily 

for a single published work, her autobiographical 

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861). 

Jacobs was born February 11, 1813, in the port town of 

Edenton, North Carolina to biracial parents, Elijah and 

Delilah Jacobs. The family also included her brother, 

John. Following the death of her mother, six-year-old 

Harriet was sent to live with Margaret Horniblow, her 

mother’s mistress, who welcomed the girl into the home 

and taught her to read and write. Just a few years later, 

when Harriet was twelve, Margaret died. Harriet had 



hoped to be emancipated, but instead was bequeathed 

to the woman’s three year-old niece, Mary Matilda, the 

daughter of Dr. James Norcom. Moving with her brother 

into the Norcom household, Harriet began years of 

fending off the sexual advances of the doctor and the 

jealous tirades of his wife. 

As a young woman of sixteen, Jacobs fell in love with a 

free black carpenter, but Dr. Norcom refused to let them 

marry, preferring to pursue her for himself. Rebelling 

against the eventual certainty that she would be forced 

to submit to Norcom’s sexual demands, Jacobs 

encouraged a relationship with Samuel Treadwell 

Sawyer, a young, unmarried, white lawyer and future 

U.S. Congressman. Together, they had two children, a 

son, Joseph, born in 1829 and a daughter, Louisa 

Matilda, born in 1833. 

Angered by Jacobs’ continued rejection, Norcom turned 

down Sawyer’s requests to purchase Jacobs and their 

children and instead sent her to a plantation owned by 

his son. After learning that her children would also work 

there as plantation slaves, Jacobs planned her escape, 

thinking that if she left, her children would be allowed to 

remain with her grandmother and avoid the brutalities of 

slavery. Initially, her plan backfired and the children and 

her brother were jailed until Sawyer arranged to buy 

them and send the children to live with their greatgrandmother 

in Edenton. 

In 1835, knowing that she needed to escape but lacking 

the means to do so, Jacobs hid at first in a swamp, and 

then sought shelter in her grandmother’s home. In her 

tiny attic refuge that measured only nine feet by seven 

feet and was just three feet at the highest point, Jacobs 

suffered sensory deprivation and frostbite. But, through 

a tiny hole in the roof, she was able to watch and hear 

her children playing in the yard below. 


THE PLAY 

THE AUTHOR - CONTINUED 

Mother and daughter were secretly and briefly 

reunited in 1840, and Louisa Matilda was eventually 

taken to her cousin’s home in Brooklyn. Freedom for 

Jacobs came on June 10, 1842, when she and her son 

Joseph boarded a ship that would take them to 

Philadelphia, and eventually to New York. 

Jacobs made a new life in New York, at first working as 

a nursemaid and then attending the Young Ladies 

Domestic Seminary School. By 1849, she had joined 

her brother in Rochester, where they established the 

Anti-Slavery Reading Room and became actively 

involved in the anti-slavery movement, meeting 

Quaker Amy Post and her husband Isaac, both staunch 

abolitionists, Frederick Douglass and other prominent 

figures of the day. 

Although she was now living and working in the North 

and openly involved in the abolitionist movement, 

liberty for Jacobs was still elusive. When the 1850 

Fugitive Slave Law was passed, Jacobs was forced to 

flee Rochester to avoid recapture by Norcom’s 

daughter, Mary Matilda, who wanted her returned. 

Finally, in 1852, her employer and anti-slavery 

sympathizer, Mrs. Cornelia Willis, contracted the 

Colonization Society to buy the freedom of Jacobs and 

her children. Her oppressors were paid $300, and, at 

last, Jacobs and her children were free. 



Dr. James Norcom posted this reward for Harriet Jacobs after she ran away 

from his son’s plantation. 

Now legally a free woman, Jacobs was encouraged by 

Amy Post to tell her story and, in 1853, she began 

writing Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Early 

attempts to publish the book failed, but Jacobs 

persisted. With financial backing from friends, the book 

was printed in 1861, under the pseudonym Linda Brent. 

The British edition, The Deeper Wrong, was published 

the following year. 

Throughout the 1860s, Jacobs traveled extensively to 

speak out against slavery. Wherever she went, she used 

her influence to improve the lives of runaway slaves and 

poor free blacks, and she never relented in the battle to 

establish fair wages, land ownership and schools for 

blacks. Believing that education could provide a way out 

of poverty, Jacobs and her daughter Louisa opened the 

Jacobs Free School in Alexandria, Virginia, on 

January 11, 1864. 


THE PLAY 

THE AUTHOR - CONTINUED 

Late in the 1860s, Jacobs operated a boarding house 

in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and two subsequent 

boarding houses in Washington, DC. Little is known of 

her life beyond that, except that by 1888 she was ill 

and having trouble finding work. After dedicating 

most of her life to the principles of freedom and 

dignity, Jacobs died largely unknown on March 7, 

1897. She was buried next to her brother in Mount 

Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, where her headstone 

reads, “Patient in tribulation, fervent in spirit serving 

the Lord.” 

Despite documentation, the authenticity of Jacobs as 

the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 

was widely questioned. The book was never reprinted 

in her lifetime and it remained obscure until the 

Civil Rights and Women’s Movements of the 1960s 

and 1970s. Extensive archival work by Jean Fagan 

Yellin led to an authoritative edition being published 

by Harvard University Press in 1987, which firmly 

established Jacobs as the author of Incidents in the 

Life of a Slave Girl and returned her work to the 

American literary canon. 

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl has now become 

part of university curricula and has been translated 

into several languages. Once again, the extraordinary 

story of Harriet Jacobs is inspiring people worldwide. 

Lara Mann 

Communications Intern 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre 




THE AUTHOR 

HARRIET JACOBS -TIME LINE 

Harriet Ann Jacobs is born in Edenton, N.C. to Delilah and 

Elijah Jacobs. 

John S. Jacobs, Harriet’s brother, is born. 

Harriet’s mother dies. At age six, Harriet goes to live with her 

mother’s white mistress, Margaret Horniblow, in Edenton. 

Through Miss Horniblow’s tutelage, Harriet learns how to 

read and write. 

Margaret Horniblow dies. Harriet is bequeathed to the woman’s three 

year-old niece, Mary Matilda Norcom. Harriet and her brother John 

move into the house of Dr. James Norcom. Over the years, 

Dr. Norcom’s unwanted sexual advances and his wife’s vindictive 

jealousy torment Harriet. 

Harriet’s father dies. 

When Dr. Norcom forbids Harriet to marry a free black carpenter, she 

enters into a liaison with Samuel Treadwell Sawyer. Harriet is expelled 

from the Norcom house and goes to live with her freed grandmother, 

Molly Horniblow. Joseph, Harriet’s son by Samuel Treadwell Sawyer, 

is born. 

Louisa Matilda, Harriet’s daughter by Samuel Treadwell Sawyer, 

is born. 

Harriet is sent to the Norcom plantation several miles outside of 

Edenton, N.C. In June, when she learns her children will soon 

arrive to be “broken in,” Harriet runs away. She conceals herself 

in a small attic above a storeroom of her grandmother’s home. 

Her brother John and her two children are jailed until September 

and then sold to a trader acting for Samuel Treadwell Sawyer. 

The children go to live with Harriet’s grandmother in Edenton. 

John goes to Sawyer’s plantation outside Edenton. 



Dr. Norcom's house in Edenton, North Carolina. 

Dr. James Norcom, Sr. 

This historical marker is located on North Broad 

Street in Edenton. It was originally erected in 

1987. 


THE AUTHOR 

HARRIET JACOBS TIMELINE - CONTINUED 

Samuel Treadwell Sawyer is elected to Congress. He leaves for 

Washington, D.C., taking Harriet’s brother, John, with him. 

Harriet’s brother, John, runs away from Samuel Treadwell 

Sawyer. 

Harriet’s daughter, Louisa Matilda, is reunited with her mother 

before leaving for Washington, D.C. with Sawyer, his wife and 

their baby. After five months there, she is taken to her cousin’s 

home in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Harriet and her son Joseph board a ship that takes them to 

Philadelphia, and eventually to New York. 

Harriet joins her brother in Rochester, NY, where they 

establish the Anti-Slavery Reading Room and become 

actively involved in the anti-slavery movement. 

Northern friends purchase Harriet and emancipate her. 

Molly Horniblow dies in Edenton, N.C. 

Harriet begins writing her book. 

In Boston, Harriet self-publishes her book, Incidents in the 

Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, using the pseudonym Linda 

Brent. The British edition follows the next year. 

Harriet performs relief work among freedmen in Washington, 

D.C., Alexandria, VA, and Savannah, GA. During this time period, 

she and Louisa Matilda open a school in Alexandria, VA and 

Harriet runs a boarding home in Cambridge, MA. 

Harriet dies and is buried next to her brother in Mount Auburn 

Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. 

This timeline is based on information provided in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 

Written by Herself, by Harriet Jacobs, Harriet Jacobs Timeline, http://xroads.virginia.edu. 

Title page of the 1861 publication 

of Incidents in the Life of a Slave 

Girl by Harriet Jacobs. 

Harriet’s home in Cambridge, MA. 



Harriet Jacobs’ gravestone in Mt. Auburn 

Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. 


THE PLAY 

THE PLAYWRIGHT 

Lydia R. Diamond 



Lydia R. Diamond is an award-winning playwright whose works have 

been seen across the country. Her plays include: Stick Fly (2010 LA 

Drama Critics Circle Award–Playwriting and Best Production, 2010 LA 

Garland Award–Playwriting, 2008 Susan S. Blackburn Finalist, 2006 

Black Theatre Alliance Award–Best Play); Voyeurs de Venus (2006 

Joseph Jefferson Award–Best New Work, 2006 BTAA–Best Writing); 

The Bluest Eye (2006 Black Arts Alliance Image Award–Best New Play, 

2008 AATE Distinguished Play Award); The Gift Horse (Theodore Ward 

Prize, Kesselring Prize 2nd Place); Harriet Jacobs (2010 Elliot Norton 

nomination–Best Play); and Lizzie Stranton. 

Ms. Diamond was a 2007 TCG/NEA Playwright in Residence at 

Steppenwolf, a 2006-07 Huntington Playwright Fellow and a 2009 NEA/ 

Arena Stage New Play Development Grant Finalist. She is a TCG board 

member, a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and on the 

faculty at Boston University. 

Harriet Jacobs was commissioned, and its world premiere presented by, 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. In addition to Harriet’s 

story, Ms. Diamond also incorporates spirituals and the narratives of 

other slaves into the play. In conjunction with the world premiere of 

Harriet Jacobs at Steppenwolf Theatre company, Ms. Diamond was 

asked about the significance of these additions. 

LYDIA DIAMOND: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is actually one long slave narrative. The addition of other 

narratives is a means for providing the audience with context for Harriet’s story. They paint a picture of the reality she 

is living in and the atrocities she is pleading with the audience to understand. The narratives also present characters 

with a fortitude and ingenuity… a sense of survival and more agency than slaves are typically depicted with. 

The spirituals are another piece of the fabric of the reality of slavery. They’re haunting and beautiful and they served 

so many different purposes. Spirituals were used as a means of communication—outlining escape routes in the 

lyrics—and as preservation of a spiritual identity. In the play, they function to move the action along with their 

rhythm and, again, provide context for Harriet’s story. 

Lydia Diamond’s comments originally appeared in the Harriet Jacobs Discussion Guide, prepared by Steppenwolf for Young 

Adults. They are reprinted here courtesy of Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 


THE PRODUCTION 

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR 

Jessica Thebus, who holds a Ph.D. in Performance 

Studies from Northwestern University, is an Associate 

Artist at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She has 

What does Harriet Jacobs ask of us? We have all traveled to this room, to devote ourselves to her 

story. What would she have us do? Nambi [Kelley, who plays the title role of Harriet Jacobs] and I were 

talking in the car yesterday and she said, “You just have to acknowledge the ancestors.” So I brought 

flowers to our room this morning as my own acknowledgement to the ancestors. I’ll keep flowers in the 

room every day we work—anyone is free to add to them in any way, and we will tell this story to honor 

those that lived it. How to tell it is our work together. 

We have in our hands, Lydia Diamond’s wonderful adaptation of Harriet’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave 

Girl. I am thrilled to be working with Lydia. We come out of the same program at Northwestern 

University, and so we both love literary adaptation, direct address and theatrical transformations. We 

love expressive moments that are not literal, tableaus and physical storytelling. We like putting intimately 

acted, deeply felt scenes against a tableau of movement and image. This combination of theatrical modes 

will be part of our task here. The story needs reality and intimacy as well as lyrical power. 

But as it happens, Lydia and I also have something else in common. We both suffer from vertigo - 

dizziness and lack of equilibrium that comes and goes with no explanation. I have sometimes had it when 

in rehearsal and, in one memorable instance, had to hold onto the edge of a table in order to stand and 

speak to the cast. Lydia tells me that she suffers from it when she works on Harriet Jacobs in particular. 

When she told me this, it did not surprise me. In a way, her story is one of dizziness for me as well. 

It is part of my job to imagine the attic. It was about nine feet long, seven feet wide and three feet high; it 

admitted no light until Harriet drilled a tiny hole. It was stifling in the summer and frigid in winter, with 

rodents and stinging insects. She could not stand up, and when she rolled over she bumped her head on 

the roof. She lived there seven years. 

When I imagine this, I can almost be made dizzy by the sickness and brutality of what led to that attic. I 

try to protect myself with my love of beauty and poetic image, but it is a struggle. How do we approach 

the vertigo we feel when confronted with the stories of slavery? Perhaps we reach for something to 

steady us, or a way to shut it out. We might tell ourselves, awful as it is, we have heard this before, we’ve 

seen these images in books, movies, the theater, conversations, passed down stories. 



directed extensively in Chicago and across the country. 

Harriet Jacobs marks her directing debut with the Rep. 

Ms. Thebus read the following notes on the production 

to the cast and staff members on the first day 

of rehearsal. 



NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR - CONTINUED 

And we here have such luxury—I can imagine and evoke 

that attic poetically; I don’t have to spend seven years 

there. But we are foolish if we think the pain, shame, 

and confusion does not affect us as we move through 

this story. It may not be Lydia’s vertigo for everyone, but 

it can affect the body and the spirit as we live with it, live 

next to it, let it speak through us. And I am foolish if I 

think it does not affect me differently, as a white woman, 

who does my job from behind a table instead of up on 

the stage living it. 

It can be difficult to feel the solidity 

of the ground beneath us to stand 

firmly in this story. Where do we 

find a place of steadiness from 

which to speak? And be heard by 

the particular audience we will 

have at each performance? For 

that feeling of vertigo is not our 

final destination, as it was 

not Harriet’s. 

Toni Morrison speaks of reluctance 

in reference to her novel 

Beloved: “I had this terrible 

reluctance about dwelling on 

[slavery]…I was overwhelmed by how long it was. 

Suddenly the time -- 300 years -- began to drown me. I 

[tried] to make [slavery] a personal experience. The book 

[Beloved] was not about the institution -- Slavery with a 

capital S. It was about these anonymous people called 

slaves. What they do to keep on, how they make a life, 

what they're willing to risk, however long it lasts, in order 

to relate to one another -- that was incredible to 

me.” Morrison, with her unquestionable genius and 

clarity, goes right into the heart of real people and gives 

them voices. 

And we have real people here, and we must listen for 

their voices. Harriet says she found her voice in that 

attic. Years later, she composed Incidents in the Life of a 

Slave Girl, pursued its publication through a newspaper 

and three separate publishers, and then traveled widely 

promoting the book and its abolitionist cause. 



And so, Harriet’s is both the story of endurance, and the 

endurance of story. From the attic emerged her voice, 

and from her voice emerged her true experience, and it is 

still challenging and clear. She told her readers, in North 

America and in England, “If you want to be fully 

convinced of the abominations of slavery, go on a 

southern plantation, and call yourself a Negro trader. 

Then there will be no concealment; and you will see and 

hear things that will seem to you impossible among 

human beings with immortal souls.” 

Our task, as I see it, is to tell the 

story with the clarity and energy of 

Harriet Jacobs. With her humor, 

with her intellect and consciousness, 

the helplessness of righteous anger 

and self-pity is unnecessary. She says 

to us, “I need you out there to 

understand exactly what this was 

like, so that you can see it clearly. 

And think about it.” 

I believe that clear sight can save us 

from the fog of vertigo. 

People endure, stories endure, and 

therefore they have hope of transformation. This 

transformation moves me as I come to this room and this 

task. We use our voices to survive the vision of the attic, 

and together to cross to firmer ground from which to 

speak the truth. To speak, like Harriet Jacobs did, to 

those who don’t know the story, and need to hear it. To 

those who aren’t willing to remember the story, and 

need to hear it again. And those who think they know it, 

and need to hear it afresh. 

Thank you for joining Lydia and me in this process. 



DESIGN ELEMENTS 

SET DESIGN 

Collette Pollard, Set Designer 

Collette Pollard returns to the Rep after having 

designed the set for the Rep’s 2009 production of 

The Glass Menagerie. Collette, who received her 

MFA in scenic design from Northwestern University, 

also designed the set for Steppenwolf Theatre 

Company’s world premiere production of Harriet 

Jacobs in 2008. She recently spoke to us about her 

inspiration for the set and how the design has 

evolved for the Rep’s production. 

Like the last set you designed for the Rep, The Glass 

Menagerie, Harriet Jacobs is a memory play. How 

did you evoke this feeling of memory in the 

set design? 

Memory is evoked in two specific ways in this 

production of Harriet Jacobs. Harriet's memory of 

hiding in the attic for seven years--only able to see 

the outside world through the cracks in the wood-- is 

reflected in the set design through the use of narrow 

openings in the upstage wall. These give us a sense 

of seeing glimpses into her memory of cotton fields, 

field workers, and watching her children grow and 

play. The other way in which memory is addressed is 

by not having anything real or tangible in the interior 

scenes. For example, we don't see the interior of 

Grandmother's kitchen or the Master's 

house. Instead, we listen to Harriet describe her 

memory of the space, and the ensemble helps set 

the world of the play through movement and song. 

Where did you draw your inspiration from for 

the set? 

I was inspired not only by the original architecture of 

the actual attic in which Harriet hid, but also by what 

it physically means to have freedom. In researching 

Harriet Jacobs, I came across an installation by artist 

Ellen Driscoll called The Loophole of Retreat. 



This piece, although quite different from the scenic 

design, inspired the idea of representing the seven 

years of Harriet’s hiding with seven window-like 

openings in the upstage wall. The idea to use all wood 

boards came from our research on the homes, schools 

and places of work of those who were enslaved. The 

color was inspired by the yellowing of a page in a book 

and a piece by Ronald Lockett, named Pregnant Lady, 

that the costume designer, Jeremy Floyd, brought in 

during our research process. 

How has the design evolved since your design for the 

Steppenwolf production? 

The Kansas City Repertory scenic design is quite 

different from the design at Steppenwolf Theatre. 

At Steppenwolf, we dealt with memory by having the 

entire space open with all the props and furniture 

stored along the theatre walls. We evoked the trapped 

feeling in the design, not only her literal hiding, but also 

the traps that all the characters find themselves in. We 

realized the architecture of Grandmother's house and 

the big house with a cage-like structure indicating the 

bones of the house. All the props were real to help 

transform the space by the ensemble. We were also 

interested in the cage-like qualities of the boning used 

in period clothing to distinguish the white people in the 

play. Three windows hung in the space giving us 

moments of memory and, unlike seeing this 

production's expansive landscapes through narrow 

slots, we only saw the sky contained in the three 

windows. 

At KC Rep, the architecture of Copaken Stage, as well 

as director Jessica Thebus' point of view on memory 

and interest in seeing the writing on the walls, frees us 

from creating a real structure for Grandmother's house 

and the big house. We are more interested in 

illustrating the coffin-like attic where Harriet felt more 

free in hiding than when she was enslaved. The script 

also went through changes allowing us to show the 

outcome of her surviving and culminating with her 

publishing her story. 



SET DESIGN - CONTINUED 



Notice the triangular opening that represents the crawl space where Harriet goes 

into hiding. The type above the model indicates text which will be projected. Note 

the use of color. 

Images of the set model courtesy of Collette Pollard. 



SET DESIGN - CONTINUED 



Images of the set model courtesy of Collette Pollard. Check out more of Collette’s work at www.collettepollard.com. 

For more information on the work that inspired Collette Pollard’s set design for Harriet Jacobs, please visit the following 

sites: 

Ellen Driscoll, Artist 

www.ellendriscoll.net 

Click here for an audio and video podcast about her installation, The Loophole of Retreat: https://www.nyhistory.org/ 

web/default.php?section=whats_new&page=tour.tab3 

Ronald Lockett, Artist 

http://collections.thebrogan.org/code/emuseum.asp? 

emu_action=searchrequest&moduleid=2&profile=people&currentrecord=1&searchdesc=Ronald% 

20Lockett&style=single&rawsearch=constituentid/,/is/,/23/,/false/,/true 




COSTUME DESIGN 

Jeremy W. Floyd, Costume Designer 

Jeremy W. Floyd is making his KC Rep debut as 

costume designer for Harriet Jacobs. Jeremy, who 

received his MFA from Northwestern University, 

recently spoke to us about the design process for this 

production. 

Where did you draw your inspiration from for your 

costume design for Harriet Jacobs? 

Though many artists and works were used as visual 

inspiration, two artists, John Biggers and Paul Jones, 

provided the major starting point for the design. Their 

work, though very different visually, speaks on a level 

of visual simplicity with elegant line and uniform 

color, while expressing the sorrow and beauty of a life 

confined by others, whether that be through slavery 

or society. These artists were supplemented with 

various other works of art from the 19th and 20th 

century as well as photography and portraiture of the 

time. 

What influenced your color palette? How did you use 

color, pattern, texture and layers to differentiate 

between characters of different races? 

The color palette of the world of Harriet Jacobs was 

inspired by the natural colors of the environment, 

both in a geographical and stage sense. Colors were 

heightened on the ensemble base-clothing to allow 

the characters to stand out of the world as well as to 

feel like they are part of it. The desire was to create a 

simple silhouette that was a conglomeration of the 

slave clothing from the mid-19th century without 

denoting any specific time, giving the cast members 

the ability to assume various roles throughout the 

many years the story takes place. This simple 

silhouette was created using almost entirely linen for 

its dense drape, creating the illusion of weight while 

still possessing a light, springy quality for the stylized 

movement and choreography. 

Costume sketches courtesy of Jeremy W. Floyd. 





COSTUME DESIGN - CONTINUED 

Visual texture was created on the relatively smooth linen 

with floral prints. These floral designs evoke the feeling of 

handwritten words on a page. They serve as Harriet's 

memories locked in the fabric of the clothes and recreate 

her memories so the audience can understand her life as 

well as the lives of others. 

While the foundation of every actor is of the world, the 

roles of the "White People" are visually created by the 

addition of white over-layers. These white "shells" are 

void of the texture and freedom of movement found in the 

base clothes, therefore visually binding the "White People" 

in a world where they should be the "free." 

Could you tell us a bit about the design process for this 

production? 

The best word to describe the process for Harriet Jacobs is 

"collaborative." The design team met many times to 

discuss the play on, not only a visual level, but a 

dramaturgical level as well, to develop a unified world 

that best told the story. The world of Harriet Jacobs was 

created through the exchange of images, information, and 

ideas. 

For more information on the work that inspired Jeremy Floyd’s 

costume design for Harriet Jacobs, please visit the following 

sites: 

John Biggers 

http://atlantis.coe.uh.edu/biggers/bio1.htm 

Paul Jones 

http://www.udel.edu/museums/jones/jones-pages05/ 

about1.html 

Costume sketches courtesy of Jeremy W. Floyd. 

To see more of Jeremy’s work, please go to: 

www.jeremywfloyd.com. 






LIGHTING DESIGN | J.R. LEDERLE 



J.R. Lederle is making his KC Rep debut as lighting designer for Harriet Jacobs. His recent credits include Late 

(Piven Theatre Workshop); Our Town (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Eurydice (Victory Gardens Theater); Pulp 

(About Face Theatre); A Life, Grey Gardens, Better Late, Retreat From Moscow, Lady (Northlight Theatre); Night 

And Day, The Island, Old Times, Fiction, Aren't We All, An Immigrant Class (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); 

Bus Stop, The Turn of the Screw (which won a Joseph Jefferson Award for Lighting Design), The Lion In Winter 

(Writer's Theatre); Morning's At Seven (Drury Lane Theatre); Goldbrick, Scribblings from Abroad, Missing 

Meemaw and others (in collaboration with Stephan Mazurek); Sonia Flew, The Unmentionables, Love-Lies- 

Bleeding (also at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.), When The Messenger is 

Hot (also at 59 E. 59 Theatres in New York), Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, Orson's Shadow, Theatrical Essays, 

Tavern Story, Pacific, Fall to Earth, Wendell Greene, The House of Lily, We All Went Down to Amsterdam, First 

Look Repertory 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); To Kill a Mockingbird, The House 

on Mango Street, The Bluest Eye (also at New Victory Theater in New York), Harriet Jacobs, The Water Engine 

(also at Theater on the Lake in Chicago), A Tale of Two Cities, Winesburg, Ohio, Division Street and Whispering 

City (Steppenwolf for Young Adults). His international credits include A Life, Grey Gardens, and Better Late at 

the Galway Arts Festival in Ireland. Additional lighting design credits include Steppenwolf Traffic Series for seven 

years and five Steppenwolf performances in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Mr. Lederle has served as head of the 

Lighting Department at Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1995. 

SOUND DESIGN | ANDRE PLUESS 

Andre Pluess serves as Composer/Sound Designer for Harriet Jacobs. Recent KC Rep credits include The 

Arabian Nights and Metamorphoses, both with Ben Sussman. Their Broadway credits include I Am My Own 

Wife and Metamorphoses. Their regional credits include after the quake, Blue Door, Honour, Metamorphoses, 

The Secret in the Wings (Berkeley Rep) and they have also designed at numerous other regional theatres. 

Recent projects include 33 Variations, The Passion Play Trilogy (Arena Stage); BFE (Long Wharf and Playwrights 

Horizons); The Clean House (Yale Rep); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Their artistic 

affiliations include associate artists (About Face Theatre); resident artists (Court Theatre); artistic associates 

(Lookingglass Theatre); resident designers (Victory Gardens). Mr. Pluess and Mr. Sussman have won 11 

Jefferson Awards and Citations, an L.A. Ovation Award, a Drama Critics Circle Award and a Lucille Lortel 

nomination for composition and sound design. 



SPOTLIGHT ON AN ACTOR - NAMBI KELLEY 

Nambi Kelley, who plays the title role of 

Harriet Jacobs, is an award-winning actress 

and playwright. In addition, she has worked 

nationally and internationally as a recording 

artist including books on tape, animation, and 

musical CDs. Nambi received her BFA from 

The Theatre School at DePaul University in 

Chicago and is a MFA candidate at Goddard 

College in Vermont. 

In 2008, Nambi originated the role of Harriet 

Jacobs in the world premiere production at 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She recently 

spoke to us about the challenges of the role 

and what she hopes young people will take 

from the production. 



You originated the role of Harriet Jacobs at 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Have there 

been any differences as to how you 

approached the role this time? 

This time around I didn't have to do as much 

dramaturgical research because the research 

was already part of me. In this process, I was 

able to approach the role more like an actor 

who is just picking up a regular script as 

opposed to a historical character. 

Are there any particular challenges in playing 

the role of Harriet? 

The biggest challenge for me is playing Harriet 

in different times of her life and only having 

moments to switch between those ages. One 

moment I can be Harriet at the end of her life 

and the next moment I can be her as a young 

teenager. That is the most challenging. 



SPOTLIGHT ON AN ACTOR - CONTINUED 

Have you found that you share any similarities 

with your character? 

I believe Harriet is the me I want to be as I get 

older. She is resilient, strong, and is dedicated 

to making sure her story makes it to the future. 

If anything, I aspire to cultivate the parts of me 

that are like her but can be enhanced. 

What have you learned from Harriet? What 

can she teach us? 

I learned so much from Harriet the first time I 

portrayed her and I learn even more from her 

everyday as I become reacquainted with her. As 

I mentioned, her resilience and tenacity are 

what I draw from her. What we should draw 

from her as an audience are those things, and 

also her commitment to telling the truth and 

recording history. 

What would you like young people to take 

away from this production? 

Young people should take away the history. It’s 

a very important and relevant part of history 

that still affects the world we live in. Young 

people need to understand how these things 

helped create the fabric of our country. 

Besides being an actress you are also a 

playwright. Could you share some advice for 

young people who want to work in theatre? 

Be fearless. Trust yourself and trust that the 

right path for you will unfold as it should. 

Nambi Kelley during a rehearsal for the Rep’s 

production of Harriet Jacobs. 

For more about Nambi Kelley, please visit: 

www.nambikelley.com. 





SPOTLIGHT ON REP STAFF - THAYLIA SMITH 

Thaylia Smith, who celebrated her 29th 

anniversary with the Rep in January 2010, 

serves as the organization’s Design/ 

Publications Specialist. Thaylia recently took 

time out of her busy schedule to speak to us 

about her position, her favorite Rep shows 

through the years, and her life outside 

of work. 

What does your position entail? 

I am responsible for designing and/or laying 

out a wide variety of print materials for the 

Rep. This could mean anything from creating 

advertisements for insertion into magazines 

and newspapers, to designing art for t-shirts 

and sweatshirts, to making banners to be 

hung on the outside of our performance 

spaces, to helping put together programs for 

each production the Rep produces. 

How did you make your way to the Rep? 

I began working part-time as a secretary/ 

receptionist at the University of Missouri- 

Kansas City when I was a junior in high school 

as part of my high school’s Cooperative 

Education (COE) program. I worked at the 

Urban Youth Program, the Student Learning 

Center, the Personnel Office, and the UMKC 

School of Medicine before I was hired as the 

Executive Staff Assistant to the late James D. 

Costin, the Rep’s co-founder, in 1981. I have 

the distinct honor of having been at the Rep 

during the tenure of each of its four artistic 

directors: Dr. Patricia McIlrath, George 

Keathley, Peter Altman, and our current 

fearless, adventurous leader, Eric Rosen. 

What has been your favorite Rep production 

and which production are you most looking 

forward to this season? 

I am honored to have attended many 

wonderful productions at the Rep over the 

years, so it would be impossible for me to 

choose just one. So, I will tell you one play 

from each artistic director’s reign that I 

enjoyed seeing. 

Thaylia Smith 



During Dr. McIlrath’s directorship, I think I 

most enjoyed the Rep’s 1983 production of 

The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickelby. It was 

a magnificent telling of Charles Dickens’ 

classic Victorian novel, and in order to tell the 

whole story, Nickelby was presented over two 

consecutive days! 

There were many great shows during Mr. 

Keathley’s era, too, but I think two of my 

most memorable ones were the 1992 

production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & 

Grill, which chronicled the life of singer Billie 

Holiday, and The Gospel at Colonus, which the 

Rep co-produced with the St. Louis Black 

Repertory Theatre in 1998. Colonus was a 

recounting of the famous Greek play as a 

gospel-themed musical and featured some of 

the most beautiful and powerful voices that 

have ever graced the Rep’s mainstage. 



SPOTLIGHT ON REP STAFF - CONTINUED 

I think my favorite show when Peter Altman was artistic 

director was the Rep’s rockin’ 2007 production of Love, 

Janis. A really great show about the life of Janis Joplin, it 

was the inaugural production at the Rep’s new downtown 

performance space, Copaken Stage. Love, Janis featured a 

fabulous back-up band made up of local musicians, and 

the two ladies who sang Janis’s songs were both 

outstanding, to boot. 

And finally, choosing a 

favorite Eric Rosen 

production is a somewhat 

daunting task, as every 

production that we’ve 

put on since he became 

our artistic director has 

featured something 

outstanding and 

memorable in it. While I 

count Clay and Venice in 

my top five Rosen 

favorites, the 2009 

staging of his play, 

Winesburg, Ohio, is the 

one that has most deeply 

touched my heart to 

date. The music was 

hauntingly beautiful, and 

I understood the feelings 

of, and sympathized with, many of the characters. I went 

to see it five times and would go five more if it was still on 

our stage! 

As to what show I’m looking forward to in the current 

season, I would have to say the current production of 

Harriet Jacobs, as her story is part of my history as a black 

woman. I am also excited about Cabaret. 

What got you interested in working in the theatre? 

I was drawn to the Rep as a possible place of employment 

because I had been to see a couple of their productions 

and was impressed with what I saw. I also had never 

worked for a professional theatre before, and thought that 

being employed there could provide a lot of diverse 

experiences. I certainly wasn’t wrong about that! 

What advice do you have for young people interested in a 

career as a graphic designer? 

I would tell potential designers that, in my opinion, you are 

about to enter one of the most exciting and interesting 

professions there is to be had! If you like a lot of variety in 

your job, love working with technology, and want to be 

paid for unleashing your creative urges, this is the career 

for you. I would also tell them that a thorough knowledge 

of the major software packages used in this industry is 

imperative to your 

success. Therefore, 

taking classes at 

institutions with 

reputable design 

programs is definitely 

a must. 

What keeps you busy 

outside of work? 

I love listening to live 

music at local venues, 

dancing, visiting art 

galleries and museums, 

and being outdoors. My 

major hobby for over 

25 years has been 

raising (not breeding) 

and showing purebred 

dogs at American 

Kennel Club and International All-Breed Canine Association 

shows all over the country. I share my life with an Alaskan 

Malamute, AKC & International Champion Totempoles N 

Sharaden’s Sam-I-Am (Sam, for short), who has six Best In 

Show wins to date, and a Samoyed, International 

Champion Silversage Cosmic Quiver (Austin, for short), 

who has placed in Working Group competitions. 

Thaylia and her Samoyed, International Champion Silversage Cosmic Quiver (Austin, for short), 

at a recent competition. 




BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE 

PRE-SHOW DISCUSSION 



The Rep’s production of Harriet Jacobs is based on Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 

You may want to read it as a class. (The text of the book can be found digitally here: http:// 

docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/jacobs/jacobs.html.) Use the following prompts as conversation 

starters with your students prior to attending the performance. 

1. What is the role of the audience in a theatrical production? 

2. What might be the challenges in bringing Harriet Jacobs’ story to the stage? 

3. What are your expectations of seeing Harriet Jacobs at the Rep? Make predictions about the set, costumes, sound 

and lighting. 

4. Playwright Lydia Diamond chose to incorporate spirituals into the play. Why do you think she made this choice? 

What do you think music will bring to the story? 

5. Won’t you ring, Old Hammer? and Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep are two of the spirituals included in Harriet Jacobs. 

Research them on the web and listen to the various versions of the songs. What images and emotions do they 

evoke? 

6. In her Director’s Notes, Jessica Thebus writes, “I brought flowers to our room this morning as my own 

acknowledgement to the ancestors. I’ll keep flowers in the room every day we work—anyone is free to add to 

them in any way, and we will tell this story to honor those that lived it.” What are some other ways we can honor 

our ancestors? 

7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling stories through theatre rather than through books, film or 

other media? 

8. What other stories about slavery are you familiar with? How do you think these stories will compare with Harriet 

Jacobs? 

9. Compare Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. How are they similar? How are they different? 

The full text of Uncle Tom’s Cabin can be found here: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/STOWE/stowe.html. 

10. How were enslaved people able to maintain aspects of their culture within the confines of slavery? 

11. What is the role of records, memoirs, and artifacts in preserving history? What is the role of theater? 


PRE OR POST-SHOW ACTIVITY 



The Rep’s production of Harriet Jacobs is based on Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 

Below is an excerpt. (The full text of the book can be found digitally here: 

http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/jacobs/jacobs.html.) 

Literary Value 

Read the selection aloud and discuss. Ask students to find imagery, alliteration, metaphor and other literary techniques. 

Discuss how Harriet’s storytelling affects the reader. 

Vocabulary 

Identify unknown words and define them. Discuss how the “new” words clarify Harriet’s narrative. 

Personal Response 

Isolate images and draw, paint or sculpt a visual art piece reflecting images or thoughts in Harriet’s narrative or students’ 

responses to the words. 

How does this section of source material influence your ideas about what the performance may look or sound like? 

If you have seen the play, how were Harriet’s thoughts and observations reflected in the performance? 

XXIII. STILL IN PRISON. 

When spring returned, and I took in the little patch of green the aperture commanded, I 

asked myself how many more summers and winters I must be condemned to spend thus. 

I longed to draw in a plentiful draught of fresh air, to stretch my cramped limbs, to have 

room to stand erect, to feel the earth under my feet again. My relatives were constantly 

on the lookout for a chance of escape; but none offered that seemed practicable, and 

even tolerably safe. The hot summer came again, and made the turpentine drop from the 

thin roof over my head. 

During the long nights, I was restless for want of air, and I had no room to toss and turn. 

There was but one compensation; the atmosphere was so stifled that even mosquitos 

would not condescend to buzz in it. With all my detestation of Dr. Flint, I could hardly 

wish him a worse punishment, either in this world or that which is to come, than to 

suffer what I suffered in one single summer. Yet the laws allowed him to be out in the 

free air, while I, guiltless of crime, was pent up in here, as the only means of avoiding the 

cruelties the laws allowed him to inflict upon me! I don't know what kept life within me. 

Again and again, I thought I should die before long; but I saw the leaves of another 

autumn whirl through the air, and felt the touch of another winter. In summer the most 

terrible thunder storms were acceptable, for the rain came through the roof, and I rolled 

up my bed that it might cool the hot boards under it. Later in the season, storms sometimes 

wet my clothes through and through, and that was not comfortable when the air 

grew chilly. Moderate storms I could keep out by filling the chinks with oakum. 


PRE OR POST-SHOW ACTIVITY - CONTINUED 

But uncomfortable as my situation was, I had glimpses of things out of doors, which made 

me thankful for my wretched hiding-place. One day I saw a slave pass our gate, muttering, 

"It's his own, and he can kill it if he will." My grandmother told me that woman's history. Her 

mistress had that day seen her baby for the first time, and in the lineaments of its fair face 

she saw a likeness to her husband. She turned the bondwoman and her child out of doors, 

and forbade her ever to return. The slave went to her master, and told him what had 

happened. He promised to talk with her mistress, and make it all right. The next day she and 

her baby were sold to a Georgia trader. 

Another time I saw a woman rush wildly by, pursued by two men. She was a slave, the wet 

nurse of her mistress's children. For some trifling offence her mistress ordered her to be 

stripped and whipped. To escape the degradation and the torture, she rushed to the river, 

jumped in, and ended her wrongs in death. 

Senator Brown, of Mississippi, could not be ignorant of many such facts as these, for they are 

of frequent occurrence in every Southern State. Yet he stood up in the Congress of the 

United States, and declared that slavery was "a great moral, social, and political blessing; a 

blessing to the master, and a blessing to the slave!" 



I suffered much more during the second winter than I did during the first. My limbs were 

benumbed by inaction, and the cold filled them with cramp. I had a very painful sensation of 

coldness in my head; even my face and tongue stiffened, and I lost the power of speech. Of 

course it was impossible, under the circumstances, to summon any physician. My brother 

William came and did all he could for me. Uncle Phillip also watched tenderly over me; and 

poor grandmother crept up and down to inquire whether there were any signs of returning 

life. I was restored to consciousness by the dashing of cold water in my face, and found 

myself leaning against my brother's arm, while he bent over me with streaming eyes. He 

afterwards told me he thought I was dying, for I had been in an unconscious state sixteen 

hours. I next became delirious, and was in great danger of betraying myself and my friends. 

To prevent this, they stupefied me with drugs. I remained in bed six weeks, weary in body 

and sick at heart. How to get medical advice was the question. William finally went to a 

Thompsonian doctor, and described himself as having all my pains and aches. He returned 

with herbs, roots, and ointment. He was especially charged to rub on the ointment by a fire; 

but how could a fire be made in my little den? Charcoal in a furnace was tried, but there was 

no outlet for the gas, and it nearly cost me my life. Afterwards coals, already kindled, were 

brought up in an iron pan, and placed on bricks. I was so weak, and it was so long since I had 

enjoyed the warmth of a fire, that those few coals actually made me weep. I think the 

medicines did me some good; but my recovery was very slow. Dark thoughts passed through 

my mind as I lay there day after day. I tried to be thankful for my little cell, dismal as it was, 

and even to love it, as part of the price I had paid for the redemption of my children. 

Sometimes I thought God was a compassionate Father, who would forgive my sins for the 

sake of my sufferings. At other times, it seemed to me there was no justice or mercy in the 

divine government. I asked why the curse of slavery was permitted to exist, and why I had 

been so persecuted and wronged from youth upward. These things took the shape of 

mystery, which is to this day not so clear to my soul as I trust it will be 

hereafter. 





In the midst of my illness, grandmother broke down under the weight of anxiety and toil. The 

idea of losing her, who had always been my best friend and a mother to my children, was the 

sorest trial I had yet had. O, how earnestly I prayed that she might recover! How hard it 

seemed, that I could not tend upon her, who had so long and so tenderly watched over me! 

One day the screams of a child nerved me with strength to crawl to my peeping-hole, and I 

saw my son covered with blood. A fierce dog, usually kept chained, had seized and bitten 

him. A doctor was sent for, and I heard the groans and screams of my child while the wounds 

were being sewed up. O, what torture to a mother's heart, to listen to this and be unable to 

go to him! 

But childhood is like a day in spring, alternately shower and sunshine. Before night Benny 

was bright and lively, threatening the destruction of the dog; and great was his delight when 

the doctor told him the next day that the dog had bitten another boy and been shot. Benny 

recovered from his wounds; but it was long before he could walk. 

When my grandmother's illness became known, many ladies, who were her customers, 

called to bring her some little comforts, and to inquire whether she had every thing she 

wanted. Aunt Nancy one night asked permission to watch with her sick mother, and Mrs. 

Flint replied, "I don't see any need of your going. I can't spare you." But when she found 

other ladies in the neighborhood were so attentive, not wishing to be outdone in Christian 

charity, she also sallied forth, in magnificent condescension, and stood by the bedside of her 

who had loved her in her infancy, and who had been repaid by such grievous wrongs. She 

seemed surprised to find her so ill, and scolded uncle Phillip for not sending for Dr. Flint. She 

herself sent for him immediately, and he came. Secure as I was in my retreat, I should have 

been terrified if I had known he was so near me. He pronounced my grandmother in a very 

critical situation, and said if her attending physician wished it, he would visit her. Nobody 

wished to have him coming to the house at all hours, and we were not disposed to give him a 

chance to make out a long bill. 

As Mrs. Flint went out, Sally told her the reason Benny was lame was, that a dog had bitten 

him. "I'm glad of it," she replied. "I wish he had killed him. It would be good news to send to 

his mother. Her day will come. The dogs will grab her yet." With these Christian words she 

and her husband departed, and, to my great satisfaction, returned no more. 

I heard from uncle Phillip, with feelings of unspeakable joy and gratitude, that the crisis was 

passed and grandmother would live. I could now say from my heart, "God is merciful. He has 

spared me the anguish of feeling that I caused her death." 





APPENDIX 

This narrative contains some incidents so extraordinary, that, doubtless, many persons, under 

whose eyes it may chance to fall, will be ready to believe that it is colored highly, to serve a 

special purpose. But, however it may be regarded by the incredulous, I know that it is full of 

living truths. I have been well acquainted with the author from my boyhood. The 

circumstances recounted in her history are perfectly familiar to me. I knew of her treatment 

from her master; of the imprisonment of her children; of their sale and redemption; of her 

seven years' concealment; and of her subsequent escape to the North. I am now a resident of 

Boston, and am a living witness to the truth of this interesting narrative. 

-GEORGE W. LOWTHER, 1861 

This testimony by George Lowther (1822-1898), a prominent African-American citizen of 

Boston, was included in the 1861 publication of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. One of 

Jacobs' Northern anti-slavery activist friends, Lowther had grown up in Edenton, North 

Carolina. He was emancipated as a young man and moved to Massachusetts, where he was 

elected to the State House of Representatives in 1878. 


BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE 

PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY - KEY CONCEPTS 



EVALUATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Research and discuss the topics listed below using a graphic 

organizer. Put the key concept in the middle of the circle and list students’ ideas in the area 

coming out from the main circle. You will need to use a separate organizer for each topic. Use 

available resources to research additional information. You may also want to refer to the 

timeline of Harriet Jacobs’ life (p. 9-10) and determine the key US and world events that 

occurred during Harriet’s lifetime. 


AFTER THE PERFORMANCE: REFLECT & CONNECT 

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION 



TOPICS FOR THOUGHT: Use the following prompts as conversation starters with your students 

after attending Harriet Jacobs at the Rep. Following the discussion, you may want to have your 

students write a review of the production. We’d love to hear from them! Reviews can be 

emailed to Melinda McCrary, Director of Education, at mccrarym@kcrep.org. 

THE PLAY 

1. What are the major themes of the play? 

2. Why do you think playwright Lydia Diamond had Harriet talk directly to the audience? 

3. Why do you think the playwright chose to have an all-black cast? How did that affect your viewing of the 

performance? 

4. What did the inclusion of spirituals bring to the performance? 

5. The script does not shy away from some of the more disturbing aspects of slavery. Do you think this production 

is suitable for all ages? Why or why not? 

6. Why is Harriet Jacobs’ story important? 

DESIGN ELEMENTS & PRODUCTION CHOICES 

1. Review the predictions you made about the set, costumes, lighting and sound. Were the design elements what 

you expected? Why or why not? 

2. How was memory evoked in the production? 

3. Tyrone Aiken, Executive Director of Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, choreographed the movement sections of 

the piece. How did this contribute to the production? 

4. How were costumes utilized to differentiate between characters of different races? 

THE CHARACTERS 

1. In the play Harriet says, “I believe there are two kinds of mean mistresses….There are those mistresses who now 

that this thing…..this way we live, slavery, is evil and wrong and so lash out because they must convince 

themselves that we are animals that they might sleep at night, and hold their heads up in church on Sunday 

morning….And then there are those mistresses who would treat their own meanly, and so certainly would have 

no regard for us. An’ all of them, steady gettin’ treated mean by they own men.” 

Discuss what she means. Do you agree or disagree with her description? 



POST-SHOW DISCUSSION - CONTINUED 

THE CHARACTERS - continued 

2. Why did Harriet not tell her Grandma that she had taken up with Sawyer? 



3. Why does Harriet choose to have a relationship with Sawyer? Did she have a choice? What would you have 

done? 

4. Why do you think Dr. Norcom never forced himself upon Harriet? 

5. Why do you think Dr. Norcom continued to pursue Harriet? 

6. Samuel Treadwell Sawyer was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1837. Do you think he helped 

Harriet enough? Why or why not? What might have prevented him from helping her? Do you think Sawyer 

truly loved Harriet? 

7. How is Harriet’s Grandmother a source of strength for her? Who is a source of strength for you in your life? 

Write about that person. 

8. How does Harriet show her love for her children? 

9. How does Harriet take control of her own destiny? 

10. When do you think Harriet became free? 

11. In what ways do you personally identify with Harriet? 

REFLECT & CONNECT 

1. What impact did this production have on your beliefs about slavery? Did it contradict any of your previously 

held beliefs? 

2. What effect did the Nat Turner Rebellion have on African-American’s lives, both free and slave? 

3. During the time period of the play (1827-1832), slavery was law and those aiding slaves in escape or even failing 

to disclose a slave’s whereabouts could be jailed and put on trial. When does moral law take precedence over 

legislative law? Can you think of any contemporary situations where this might apply? 

4. Harriet Jacobs was a light skinned African-American. In fact, she and her children could pass for white. Explain 

how this might complicate her situation. What is the role of skin color and how does it influence our perceptions 

of race? 

5. What impact did slavery have on American culture and history? 

6. How did slavery negatively impact the lives, not just of slaves, but of slave owners, their wives and their 

children? 

7. What does Harriet Jacobs teach us about the female slave experience? 



POST-SHOW ACTIVITY 



LISTEN AND RESOND: As a class, listen to the following story from NPR, Professor Sheds Light 

on Harriet Jacobs' path to freedom, which can be accessed here: http://www.npr.org/ 

templates/story/story.php?storyId=17897134. Have students respond to the questions below 

and share with the group. 

Harriet hid in a crawl space measuring nine feet long, seven feet wide and three feet high. Measure this out in your class 

room. Imagine what it must have been like to be confined in that space for seven years. What does this reveal about her 

character? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Why do you think Harriet made the choices she did? Do they make sense to you? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Are people defined by the choices they make? Why or why not? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Describe a situation where you felt powerless. How did you find your voice and regain your power? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

What does freedom mean to you? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

What sacrifices would you make to be free? 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

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St. Louis, MO 

1928- 

Poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, 

filmmaker, and civil rights activist. 

St. Louis, MO 

1906-1975 

Entertainer and activist 

Kansas City, MO 

1911-2003 

Journalist and activist 

Topeka, KS 

1917-2000 

Poet and activist 

Kansas City, KS 

1895-1974 

Singer and music critic 

First African-American woman to earn a master's degree in music. 



Harriet Jacobs eventually fled Edenton, NC and became an activist for the abolitionist cause. 

Below are some notable African-American women with ties to our region. Research more 

about them and prepare a summary of their lives and accomplishments. Make sure to add to 

this list with more notable women that you find. Write a monologue or scene from the point of 

view of one of these women. You are adapting history into theatre. 

Maya Angelou. 

Photo: www.mayaangelou.com. 

Lucile Bluford. 

Photo: State Historical Site of Missouri. 

Nora Holt. 

Photo: Carl Van Vecten. 



POST-SHOW ACTIVITY- CONTINUED 

Coffeyville, KS 

1895-1992 

Singer, actress, choral director, author, and poet. 

First African-American woman to win international distinction as a director of a 

professional choral group. 

Topeka, KS 

1897-1950 

Lawyer 

First African-American woman admitted to the Kansas bar. 

St. Louis, MO 

1869-1957 

Entrepreneur and a pioneer in the African-American beauty and cosmetic business. 

Wichita, KS 

1895-1952 

Actor 

First African-American to both win an Oscar and attend the Oscar ceremonies. 

St. Louis, MO 

1815-1876 

Co-plaintiff in Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857. 



Lutie Lytle. 

Photo: Kansas State Historical Society. 

Annie Turbo Malone. 

Photo: www.blackpast.org. 

Harriet Robinson Scott. 

Photo: National Park Service. 




PICTURE BOOKS: 

Hopkinson, Deborah. Under the Quilt of Night. Illus. by James E. Ransome. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 

2001. 

Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box. Illus. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007. 

Miller, William. Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery. Illus. by Cedric Lucas. New York: Lee & Low, 1995. 

Rappaport, Doreen. Freedom River. Illus. by Bryan Collier. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2000. 

Schroeder, Alan. Minty: A Story of Harriet Tubman. Illus. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996. 

Walter, Mildred Pitts. Alec’s Primer. Illus. by Larry Johnson. Middlebury, VT: Vermont Folklife Center, 2004. 

Wright, Courtni Crump. Journey to Freedom: A Story of the Underground Railroad. Illus. by Gershom Griffith. New York: 

Holiday House, 1994. 

NOVELS & HISTORICAL FICTION: 

Brenaman, Miriam. Evvy’s Civil War. New York: Putnam, 2002. 

Copper, Afua. My Name Is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom. Kids Can Press, 2009. 

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic, 2007. 

Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. 

Hansen, Joyce. The Captive. New York: Scholastic, 1994. 

Lyons, M. E. Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs. New York: Scribner, 1992. 

Myers, Walter Dean. Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom. Puffin, 2001. 

Patterson, Katherine. Jip: His Story. Puffin, 1998. 

Paulsen, Gary. Nightjohn. New York: Delacorte Press, 1993. 

Paulsen, Gary. Sarny: A Life Remembered. Delacourt Press, 1995. 

Rinaldi, Ann. The Ever-After Bird. Orlando: Harcourt, 2007. 



RELATED READING: Have students create a picture book about Harriet’s life for younger 

children. A list of selected picture books that can serve as inspiration are listed below. Or, 

form literature circles and discuss one of the novels for adolescents about slavery and the 

African-American experience. 


FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION 



BOOKS: 

Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Restored Version Complete and Unabridged. CreateSpace, 2009. 

Originally published in 1861 by Harriet Jacobs, using the pen name Linda Brent, Incidents is considered a work of feminist 

literature. On one level it chronicles the experiences of Harriet Jacobs and the mistreatment she had to endure under the 

institution of slavery. It then goes further to examine the abuse and mistreatment of slave women as a national issue. 

Yellin, J. F. Harriet Jacobs: A Life. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. 

A biography of Harriet Jacobs, which includes historical and rare family photographs. It chronicles her life from slavery to 

activism. 

Yellin, J. F. The Harriet Jacobs Family Papers. University of North Carolina Press, 2008. 

These letters and papers written by, for, and about Jacobs and her activist brother and daughter provide for the thousands 

of readers of Incidents access to the rich historical context of Jacobs's struggles against slavery, racism, and sexism beyond 

what she reveals in her pseudonymous narrative. 

WEBSITES: 

www.harrietjacobs.org 

This website sheds light on who Harriet Jacobs was, outlines the social and political climate of her lifetime, and introduces 

present-day sites that help to interpret her memorable story. 

www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html 

PBS special: Africans in America. America’s journey through slavery is presented in four parts. For each era, there is a 

historical narrative, a resource bank of images, documents, stories, biographies, commentaries, and a teacher’s guide for 

using the content of the web site and television series in U.S. history courses. You can find Harriet Jacobs at www.pbs.org/ 

wgbh/aia/part4/4p2923.html. 

www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/spotlight.html 

A website on the slave experience. 

www.pbs.org/race/001_WhatIsRace/001_00-home.htm 

Provides background knowledge about the origins of modern definitions of race and clarifies common misconceptions 

about race. 

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/slavery/index.html 

Discovery Education’s guide to understanding slavery. Includes teacher tips and resources. 

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/IncidentsSlaveGirlTG.pdf 

A teacher’s guide to the Signet Classics edition of Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 

MEDIA: 

Professor Sheds Light on Harriet Jacobs' path to freedom 

Dr. Yellin interviewed by Michel Martin on the NPR show "Tell Me More." 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17897134 

Voices from the Days of Slavery 

Library of Congress American Memory Project (includes audio recordings as well as transcripts) http://memory.loc.gov/ 

ammem/collections/voices/ 


STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS 

Harriet Jacobs meets the following state and national standards: 

KANSAS 

Reading 

1.3 The student expands vocabulary. 

1.4 The student comprehends a variety of texts (narrative, expository, technical, and persuasive). 

Literature 

2.1 The student uses literary concepts to interpret and respond to text. 

2.1 The student understands the significance of literature and its contributions to various cultures. 

Civics/Government 

1.1 The student understands the rule of law as it applies to individuals; family; school; local, state and national 

governments. 

1.2 The student understands the shared ideals and diversity of American society and political culture. 

Economics 

2.1 The student understands how limited resources require choices. 

2.3 The student analyzes how different incentives, economic systems and their institutions, and local, national, and 

International interdependence affect people. 

3.4 The student understands how economic, political, cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of 

human populations, interdependence, cooperation, and conflict. 

3.5 The student understands the effects of interactions between human and physical systems. 

US History 

5.1 The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning 

points in the era of the emergence of the modern United States (1890-1930). 

5.5 The student engages in historical thinking skills. 

Theatre/Drama 

1.1 The student knows the basic elements of a story. 

5.1 The student evaluates and reflects on the characteristics and merits of dramatic content and theatrical forms in 

their work and that of others. 

5.2 The student identifies and reflects upon personal meanings and emotional responses to performances and applies 

ideas to self and society. 

5.3 The student recognizes the contextual aspects of performances from various cultures, times, and places. 

5.4 The student demonstrates responsible audience etiquette. 

6.1 The student integrates theatre with other arts, disciplines, and the community. 

Listening, Viewing Speaking 

1 Learners will participate effectively as listeners in formal and informal groups. 

2 Learners will demonstrate skills in viewing for a variety of purposes. 

3 Learners speak effectively for a variety of audiences, purposes, occasions, and contexts. 

4 The communicator will retrieve information from a variety of appropriate sources. 


STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS 

Harriet Jacobs meets the following state and national standards: 

MISSOURI 

GOAL 1: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to gather, analyze and apply information 

and ideas. 

5 comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works. 

9 identify, analyze and compare the institutions, traditions and art forms of past and present societies. 

GOAL 2: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to communicate effectively within and 

beyond the classroom. 

3 exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others. 

4 present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities and sciences. 

Communication Arts: In Communication Arts, students in Missouri public schools will acquire a solid foundation which 

Includes knowledge of and proficiency in: 

2 reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama 

3 reading and evaluating nonfiction works and material (such as biographies, newspapers, technical manuals) 

5 comprehending and evaluating the content and artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations (such as 

story-telling, debates, lectures, multi-media productions). 

6 participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas. 

7 identifying and evaluating relationships between language and culture. 

Fine Arts: In Fine Arts, students in Missouri public schools will acquire a solid foundation which includes knowledge of: 

1 process and techniques for the production, exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed 

arts. 

2 the principles and elements of different art forms. 

3 the vocabulary to explain perceptions about and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts. 

4 interrelationships of visual and performing arts and the relationships of the arts to other disciplines. 

5 visual and performing arts in historical and cultural contexts. 

Social Studies: In Social Studies, students in Missouri public schools will acquire a solid foundation which includes knowledge 

of: 

2 continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world 

3 principles and processes of governance systems 

4 economic concepts (including productivity and the market system) and principles (including the laws of supply and 

demand) 

5 the major elements of geographical study and analysis (such as location, place, movement, regions) and their 

relationships to changes in society and environment 

6 relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions. 

NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR ARTS EDUCATION 

6 Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and new art forms. 

7 Analyzing, critiquing, and constructing meanings from informal and formal theatre, film, television, and electronic 

media productions. 

8 Understanding context by analyzing the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the past and the 

present. 


STUDENT MATINEE INFORMATION 

TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT | COPAKEN STAGE 

We want you to enjoy your time at the theatre, so here are some 

tips to make your experience at the Rep successful. Please take a 

moment to review these pages prior to attending the performance. 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Copaken Stage is located at 13 th and Walnut, inside the 

H&R Block Building, downtown. (The exact address is: One H&R Block Way, Kansas City, 

MO 64105.) It is best if your bus approaches the H&R Block Building heading west on 

13 th Street, which is a one way street. We will have police and Kansas City Repertory 

Theatre staff members at this entrance to help make the loading and unloading of buses go as smoothly as possible. 

Please arrive at the theatre between 9:30-9:45am. Performances begin promptly at 10:00am. We don’t want you to miss 

anything! 

When you arrive at the theatre, please stay on your buses! A staff member will greet your bus and let you know how to 

proceed. 

There is no bus parking at the H&R Block Building. We are aware of the following bus parking options: 

Buses may be able to find street parking around Barney Allis Plaza—No charge. 

Kemper Arena Lot B—No charge. 

14th & Wyandotte—Approximately $20 per bus, cash only. 

If you have an emergency after 9:00am on the day you are scheduled for performance, please call Amy Tonyes, Education 

Associate, on her personal cell phone at 816-204-1807. This is the best way to reach a staff person on performance days. 

Please also ensure that Amy has your cell phone number prior to your visit in case of emergency! Latecomers will be 

seated at the discretion of House Management staff. 

The performance will last approximately two hours, including intermission. 

The use of cameras and other recording devices is a violation of the actors’ contracts. We ask that you refrain from taking 

photos or videos during the production. However, you are welcome to take photos of students in the lobby or in the 

theatre before the performance begins. It is also important to remember that electronic and recording devices should not 

be brought inside the theatre. This includes pen lights, hand-held games, virtual pets, cell phones, mp3 players, pagers, 

ipods and bright or noisy jewelry. 

The use of cell phones (including text messaging), cameras or any other recording device is not allowed in the theater at 

any time! All cell phones should be completely turned off and put away during the performance. Cell phones left on 

“vibrate” give off a glow that can distract actors and audience members. 


STUDENT MATINEE INFORMATION CONTINUED 

Restrooms are located at the west end of the lobby. The best time to use the restroom is before the show or during 

intermission. Once the show starts, we request that audience members do not leave their seats. Water fountains are 

located near the restrooms. 

No. There is no food, drinks or gum allowed in the theatre during the performance. 

Sack lunches can be stored by the House Management staff until after the performance. They cannot be consumed in the 

lobby before or during the production. 

Snacks will be sold at intermission but can not be taken into the theatre. Please alert students to this policy so that they 

will not buy more than they can enjoy during intermission. Please let your students know to bring one dollar bills if they 

would like to purchase concessions. This will insure the line moves swiftly. 

There are several restaurants near the theatre downtown. If you are planning to eat at a downtown restaurant, it is 

advised that you contact them prior to your visit so that they can plan accordingly. 

We require a minimum of two weeks notice in order to accommodate your student’s needs. This includes 

accommodations for students who use wheelchairs as well as for students with hearing or vision impairments. Please note 

that tickets for para-professionals should be included in your ticket count. Everyone entering the theatre will need a ticket. 

Theatre seating is assigned and based on sequence in which reservations and payments are received, talkback attendance, 

disability considerations, and group size. 

We ask that the teacher/chaperones sit among their students in various areas in order to encourage positive behavior. 

We ask that there be one adult seated between every ten students. You will be seated in the order you are standing in line 

to enter the theatre; please ensure your chaperones are spaced accordingly. Actors appreciate audience response that is 

appropriate to the play. By no means does the Rep want to discourage laughter or applause during a performance. 

However, talking, whispering, shouting or any inappropriate responses which are disruptive to the actors or to the rest of 

the audience is not tolerated. If behavior problems arise, we ask that a teacher or chaperone accompany the student to 

the theatre lobby and remain with the student until the end of the play. 

Please note that Kansas City Repertory Theatre shall be under no liability for failure of the group to attend in the event 

that such failure is caused by, or due to, inclement weather, interruption or delay of transportation services, or any other 

similar or dissimilar cause beyond the control of the company. Due to the nature of live theater, performances may be 

cancelled without notice. Should this occur, the Education Department will make every effort to notify you and will 

attempt to move your group into another student matinee performance whenever possible. Once final payment has been 

received, per the Rep's ticket policy, we are unable to refund payment made for reservations. 


STUDENT MATINEE INFORMATION CONTINUED 

There is a 20-minute Q. & A. discussion with the actors following the performance. If your group needs to leave after the 

play, we understand, and need to know beforehand. However, we encourage you to stay for this unique learning 

experience. 

Yes! Each person planning to see the play will need a ticket to give the ushers in order to enter the theatre. This includes 

all students, chaperones, para-professionals and drivers. If your bus driver will be attending the performance, please 

remember to give them their ticket prior to entering the theatre. 

Extra tickets will not be available on the day of performance. If you need to increase your seat count prior to the 

performance day, please contact Amy Tonyes, Education Associate, at 816-235-2707 or tonyesal@kcrep.org, and she can 

let you know if additional seats are available for purchase. 

If your group is arriving in cars, please note that parking is NOT available at the H&R Block garage. Parking is available at 

the Main Street parking garage located at 13th & Main. There may be a fee for parking. 

Dress for the weather. You may wear dress clothes in order to make the theatre field trip a special one, but it is not 

required. Please be advised that, at times, it may be chilly in the theatre. 

After your visit, take time to discuss and reflect with your students and tell us about your experiences. We can share your 

feedback with the artists and funders who make these productions possible. Please send your letters to: Melinda McCrary, 

Director of Education, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, 4825 Troost, #209, Kansas City, MO 64110 or mccrarym@kcrep.org. 


EDUCATION AND OUTREACH—REP ON THE ROAD 

Rep on the Road 

Our team of teaching artists will visit your school each day for one week leading your 

students in the discovery of classic and contemporary plays through the process of 

rehearsal and performance. The team can teach all day for numerous classes in various 

disciplines or for an abbreviated day of fewer classes. 

For students approaching these texts for the first or repeated times, Rep on the Road 

introduces and immerses young scholars and performers in the process and skills used to 

make the words and the literary terms they study in class come to life. This workshop is an 

ideal way to enliven and enhance a Literature, Arts, Speech, English, History, or Drama 

class. We can customize the program content based on what you are exploring in any class 

or discipline or you can choose from the texts we have prepared. Daily schedules 

correspond to teachers’ schedules within each school—whether on block or regular 

schedule (including daily planning time). 

NOTE: Each residency is custom designed with educators to meet students’ needs on a 

school-specific basis and includes 1-2 advance planning sessions. 

Location: Your school 

Grades: 6-8, 9-12 

Availability: Fall and Winter semesters 

Fee: Fee varies with schedule. Call for more information! 

Opportunities: Mix and Match from these workshops or choose one. 

Shakespeare in the Wings: King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, 

Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. American Masterworks: The Crucible, The Glass 

Menagerie, Death of a Salesman, To Kill A Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Raisin in the Sun, 

Our Town. Discoveries and Techniques: Acting Techniques, Improvisation, Audition Skills, 

Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Arts Marketing. 

To book 

REP ON THE ROAD 

contact Melinda McCrary, 

Director of Education & 

Community Programs, at 

816-235-5708 or 

mccrarym@kcrep.org 

Schlagle H.S. students participate 

during a Rep on the Road arts 

education residency. 

Photo: Charles Stonewall. 


EDUCATION AND OUTREACH—POST SHOW DISCUSSION 

In Class Post-Show Discussion 

Let the learning continue after the curtain goes down. We are offering you the opportunity 

to have a member of the Education staff lead a post-show discussion in your classroom after 

attending a student matinee performance at the Rep. This guided discussion will enable 

students to delve deeper into the context and themes of the play, giving them a chance for 

their thoughts and opinions to be heard. Engaging and collaborative, this discussion 

encourages students to utilize higher levels of thinking to connect the central issues in the 

play to their own lives. 

Location: Your school 

Availability: All season, as scheduled, after attending a student matinee performance. 

Length: 45 minutes 

Maximum number of students: 40 

Fee: $1 per student. 

To book an In Class 

Post-Show Discussion 

contact Melinda McCrary, 

Director of Education & 

Community Programs, at 

816-235-5708 or 

mccrarym@kcrep.org 

Students from Wyandotte H.S. participate 

during an arts education residency. 

Photo: David Riffel. 


KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE 2010-2011 STUDENT MATINEE SCHEDULE 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 

By Charles Dickens 

Adapted by Barbara Field 

Directed by Kyle Hatley 

A Christmas Carol is produced in partnership with the UMKC 

Department of Theatre and with the generous support of the 

Hall Family Foundation. 

Kansas City's favorite holiday tradition is back! 

We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of our 

original production of Charles Dickens’ 

A Christmas Carol. Adapted from the classic 

novel, this play has thrilled thousands of area 

students as they travel with Ebenezer Scrooge 

on his journey from bitter, lonely miser to warmhearted, 

generous citizen of the world. Refreshed 

and refurbished, the Rep's production will have all 

of our favorite moments as well as some 

captivating surprises. Our student matinees sell 

quickly so reserve seats for your students - the 

next generation of theatre-goers - today! 

Friday, November 19 

Tuesday, November 23 

Tuesday, November 30 

Wednesday, December 1 

Thursday, December 2 

Tuesday, December 7 



Tuesday, December 14 



Performances begin at 10:30 am. 

Located at Spencer Theatre. 

Themes and Topics: British literature; Victorian 

society and culture; an individual’s responsibility to 

society; generosity and celebration; personal 

growth and discovery; compassion and 

redemption; literature adapted for the stage. 

Standards: Missouri-1.5, 1.9; 2.3, 2.4; CA 2, 5-7; FA 1-5; SS 2-6. Kansas - Reading 1.3, 1.4; Literature 2.1; Theatre Drama - 

1.1, 5.1-5.4, 6.1; Economics - 2.1, 2.3, 3.4, 3.5; World History - 6.2, 6.5. National - 6,7,8. 

For Tickets or Information Contact Amy Tonyes at 816-235-2707 or tonyesal@kcrep.org 


KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE 2010-2011 STUDENT MATINEE SCHEDULE 

CABARET 

Book by Joe Masteroff 

Music by John Kander 

Lyrics by Fred Ebb 

Directed by Eric Rosen 

March 18 - April 10, 2011 

Student Matinee –Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 10:00 am. 

Located at Spencer Theatre 

$10 per student ticket with one complimentary chaperone ticket per 10 students. 

Recommended for High School and up. 

1931 Berlin, and the fragile Weimar Republic is being torn apart by radical politics on the 

right and left. But inside the Cabaret, the world is alive with seedy glamour and a kind of 

freedom never known before -- for now. A young, broke American finds himself entangled 

by the dreams of the unforgettable Sally Bowles, who initiates him to the pleasures -- and 

dangers -- of the Cabaret. 

One of the great musicals of the last century is brought to passionate, vibrant, imaginative 

life by Artistic Director Eric Rosen (Venice, A Christmas Story, The Musical!, Winesburg, Ohio) -- and pays homage to Kansas 

City native and legend John Kander, who, along with Fred Ebb, created one of the most wondrous and powerful theatrical 

scores ever. 

Themes and Topics: Literature adapted for the stage; political and socio-economic culture of 1930s Germany; the rise of the 

Nazi party; varying kinds of love and relationships; societal changes; illusion and escapism, identity, rites of passage, 

intolerance vs. acceptance. 

Standards: Missouri-1.5, 1.9; 2.3, 2.4; CA 2, 5-7; FA 1-5; SS 2-6. Kansas - Reading 1.3, 1.4; Literature 2.1; Theatre Drama - 

1.1, 5.1-5.4, 6.1; Economics - 2.1, 2.3, 3.4, 3.5; World History - 6.3, 6.5. National - 6,7,8. 

PEER GYNT 

Written by Henrik Ibsen 

Adapted and directed by David Schweizer 

April 22 - May 22, 2011 

Student Matinee –Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 10:00 am. 

Located at Copaken Stage 

$10 per student ticket with one complimentary chaperone ticket per 10 students. 

Recommended for High School and up. 

Get ready for a wild, hilarious and surreal adventure in this brilliant adaptation of Ibsen’s 

legendary verse play. Based on a Norwegian folk tale with forty characters and five acts, 

one of Ibsen’s most influential and famous plays is almost never staged. But now, world 

renowned director David Schweizer takes this “impossible to produce” play, a handful of 

actors and turns it into an innovative comic adventure that will delight student audiences. 

“Wild and funny.” – Los Angeles Times 

Themes and Topics: Norwegian literature and folk tales; poetic fantasy; myths and fables; 

social and economic history of 19th century Norway; morality; identity, personal growth 

and self-discovery; maturity; avoidance vs. responsibility; the transformative power of love; classic literature adapted to the 

stage and presented in a new way. 

Standards: Missouri-1.5, 1.9; 2.3, 2.4; CA 2, 5-7; FA 1-5; SS 6. Kansas - Reading 1.3, 1.4; Literature 2.1; Theatre Drama - 1.1, 

5.1-5.4, 6.1. National - 6,7,8. 

For Tickets or Information Contact Amy Tonyes at 816-235-2707 or tonyesal@kcrep.org 


UMKC is a great place to get to start a new adventure and open your mind to 

knowledge, diverse people and outstanding experiences. So what makes UMKC 

worth looking at? 

Over 120 degree programs including Art, Business, Biology, Education, 

Engineering, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Pharmacy, Spanish, Theater and many 

more. 

Personal attention from faculty and staff. Average class size is 24 students and 

there is a 14:1 student to faculty ratio. 

Affordable! UMKC has great scholarships ranging from $250 to full paid 

expenses per year based on academic performance and leadership. 

Great location! Based in the heart of the city of Kansas City, opportunities for 

internships, jobs, community service are at a student’s fingertips. 

Find your fit at UMKC. There are over 300 student organizations for students 

ranging from academics, religion, multicultural, intramurals and more. 

Check us out! 

For more information, contact 

UMKC Office of Admissions 

admit@umkc.edu 

816-235-UMKC 

www.umkcgetalife.com 

UP CLOSE: 

Our Education Partner 

UMKC 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre 

is the professional theatre in 

residence at UMKC. 


Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s arts education : programs receive generous support 

from the following: 

This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts 

Commission, a state agency, and the National 

Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which 

believes that a great nation deserves great art. 

The ArtsKC Fund 

Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City 

Citi Cards 

Curry Family Foundation 

Francis Family Foundation 

General Mills Foundation 

Hall Family Foundation 

Hallmark Corporate Foundation 

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation 

Oppenstein Brothers Foundation 

Truman Heartland Community Foundation 

William Randolph Hearst Foundation 

CONTACT US: 

Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the 

Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Also, this project is 

supported in part by an award from the National Endowment 

for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great 

art. 

Special Thanks to: 

Elizabeth Higbee, Lara Mann, Nambi Kelley, 

Jessica Thebus, Rebecca Stevens, Jeremy 

Floyd, Collette Pollard, and Hallie Gordon. 

We invite you to email any comments, questions or ideas about Harriet Jacobs and/or this Learning Guide to 

Melinda McCrary, Director of Education at: mccrarym@kcrep.org, 816-235-5708 or Amy Tonyes, 

Education Associate at: tonyesal@kcrep.org, 816-235-2707.

Harriet Jacobs - The Kansas City Repertory Theatre

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