Happy Juneteenth

On this day, 154 years ago, enslaved blacks were declared FREE. This was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Then 100 years later, black people were given our constitutional rights. Even with this progress, hope and ‘better days,’ we still feel the remnants left from years of slavery, our families being ripped from us, our homes burned and our spirits shaken. I am grateful for the sacrifices made and atrocities endured by my ancestors. I often think about what it means to be FREE. Although we are FREE from physical shackles and restraints, there are still many societal tools of enslavement today…both external and internal.

What does FREEDOM mean to you?

I’m in rehearsals for a new play, ‘The Lincoln Dress,’ and learning something new in each session. I work a full 8-hr day at my 'survival job’ starting at 6:30am, then I go to a 5-hr rehearsal right after, and then I commute home for another 1-1.5 hours. It’s a full day. But I’m loving it…and feeling lucky to be able to play, explore and stretch. Stretch my thinking, my capacity to be open, my listening, my showing up, my homework. Although my schedule and responsibilities are pretty set, interestingly enough, I feel very FREE.

THE LINCOLN DRESS

What might have happened to the dress on which Abraham Lincoln took his last breath?

PERFORMING —-> Siena College — Albany, NY: June 28, 29, 30

https://www.siena.edu/departments/creative-arts/upcoming-events/

PERFORMING —-> Old Stone House — Brooklyn, NY: July 8, 9, 10

https://lincolndress.brownpapertickets.com/

Thank you’s:

Writer & Director: John P. McEneny

Cast: Annie Montgomery, Aaron Novak & Vasile Flutur