“Day of Tears” to be Presented at Hole in the Wall Theater

The Hole in the Wall Theater and the Day of Tears Touring Company are presenting, “Day of Tears,” about an especially shameful day in the history of the crime of slavery in the United States.

The Theater says that the presentation is, “A staged reading adapted for the stage and directed by Ms. Laurie Maria Cabral with a special performance by Nzinga’s Daughters.”

During two days, March 2nd and 3rd, 1859, the largest auction of human beings in the United States was held in Savannah, Georgia. On that day, the Theater says that, more than four hundred people were, “paraded as chattel to the auctioneer’s block,” as families were torn apart in a sale to settle the gambling and other debts of a slaver.

“This stage reading is brought to life from excerpts of the multi-award winning Day of Tears by Julius Lester, told from the voices of those sold on the auction block,” the Theater says, “the innocent children, husbands, wives, and lovers who clung to one last desperate hope of staying together.”

The National Museum of African American History and Culture says that,

The historic event was a spectacle of at least 30 infants sold from their mothers, as well as spouses, elders, and siblings all torn one from another.

“The Weeping Time,” was the name given to the two days because, as the book description says,

On the first day of the auction, the skies darkened and torrential rain began falling. The rain continued throughout the two days, stopping only when the auction had ended.

The theatrical presentation is to be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 8:00pm at the Hole in the Wall Theater.

Tickets for the play are available at the Theater’s tickets web page. General admission, the Theater says, is $20.

The Hole in the Wall Theater says that it, “has been a staple of the New Britain arts community for over 50 years. Through the hundreds of shows we’ve produced, our mission has always been to make theater accessible to everyone.”

“Every one of our members – from our actors, to our directors, to our tech, maintenance, and administrative team – are volunteers,” the Theater has said, asking those interested in volunteering to visit its auditions web page and volunteer web page.

The Theater says that,

If you would like to purchase tickets to one of our upcoming productions, you may either make a reservation with our Box Office at 860-229-3049, or place an order online. For phone reservations, please make sure to leave your name, the date of the performance, number and type of tickets (GA, student, or senior), phone number, as well as your email address so that we can send you a confirmation. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on performance nights with cash or credit card.

The Hole in the Wall Theater is located at 116 Main Street.

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