Bringing Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass to Life in Solvang
PCPA’s Production of ‘The Agitators’ Delves into Two Pivotal Figures in American History
We are familiar with Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass as activists and abolitionists, but the details of their work may have been glossed over in junior high American history. The Agitators, a play by Mat Smart, presented by PCPA at the Solvang Festival Theater, gives audiences a more personal view of America’s social evolution in the late 1800s, as seen through the half-century friendship between these tireless advocates for equality. Directed by Mark Booher, The Agitators stars Cordell Cole as Douglass and Polly Firestone Walker as Anthony.
“I have had the good fortune to live with this play since 2021 when PCPA first produced it as a pandemic-era Zoom reading, watching as our nation wrestled with questions Susan and Frederick faced 150 years ago: Black Lives Matter, Me Too, Stop the Steal,” says Firestone Walker. “Biographies, articles, and Susan’s own writings paint a portrait of an incredibly energetic, determined, and insightful warrior for civil rights. However, that is the public-facing Susan, and this play gives us a glimpse of a more private longing, one that the majority of us share: the simple desire to share the joys and burdens of a full life with a loved one.”
And while Anthony and Douglass find common ground and deep mutual respect for each other’s dedicated work toward equal rights, their personal experiences lead them down different paths toward the same goal, setting them at odds.
“From 150 years later, history appears like a relatively straight line,” says Firestone Walker. “Digging into the details reveals that these titans of American civil rights struggled just as we do: with differing opinions regarding strategies, priorities, and the means to acquire the shared goal of a better life for all.”
The Agitators runs at Solvang Festival Theater (420 2nd St., Solvang) from August 29 through September 8 and is the final show in PCPA’s 2024 summer series in Solvang. See pcpa.org for tickets and details.
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