It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) presents A Midnight Cry: the Underground Railroad to Freedom. The true story of Margaret Garner is compelling and complex. Garner, a runaway slave from Kentucky, killed her daughter rather than see her returned to slavery. During the highly publicized trial that followed in Cincinnati, the controversial legal arguments hinged on whether Garner had committed murder or the destruction of property. The opera premiered at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit in 2005 with the acclaimed Toni Morrison as librettist and Richard Danielpour as composer. Although the opera is not appropriate for young audiences, we felt very strongly about exploring themes related to Garner’s story with the students of Chicago Public Schools. A Midnight Cry: the Underground Railroad to Freedom is the fitting result of our search for a significant and compelling performance for youth. The Midnight Cry program and our Workshop-In-A-Box have been specifically designed for grades 4-8. As you dive into these lessons with your class, please keep in mind:
The Workshop-In-A-BoxLesson 1: Margaret Garner, Fugitive Slave Lesson 2: Underground Railroad Stops in Illinois Lesson 4: The Sounds of Slavery Lesson 7: Reading and Evaluating a Document Addendum to Lesson 7: Newspaper Article Post-Show Lesson Plan: Bio-Poems For more information on the Workshop-In-A-Box, please contact Nicole Losurdo at nlosurdo@auditoriumtheatre.org. |
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