Seventh grade students at Shaker Middle School had the opportunity to attend a performance of “Friend of a Friend: Tales of the Underground Railroad” by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill & Jill Rafferty-Weinisch. The play, one of the Capital Repertory Theatre’s On-The-Go! in-school touring productions, focused on the true story of Solomon Northup. Northup, a resident of Saratoga Springs, was kidnapped as a free man and forced into slavery for 12 years before regaining his freedom. The play featured three actors performing a variety of different characters and introduced students to many locations throughout the Capital Region that participated in the underground railroad. The content of the play aligns with the current curriculum being taught in seventh grade social studies classes at the middle school.
The 45 minute performance was followed by a brief question and answer session between actors and students. Students asked a variety of questions, ranging from their largest acting role to date to what inspired the actors to take part in this particular story.
“We don’t often talk about the legends in our city now,” explained Drew Drake, who played the role of Northup. “For me, it’s really beautiful to talk about folks who were here, in the Albany area… I want kids to be curious.”