Prime Stage Theatre set to open Harriet Tubman play

Most Americans know about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, but there are many more details that aren’t as well known about this fascinating and exceedingly brave woman.

A good many of those details are woven into an upcoming Prime Stage Theatre production opening this week at the New Hazlett Theater on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

The play is called “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.” It’s based on her true story as adapted by Douglas Jones and directed by Linda Haston, a veteran of Pittsburgh area stages.

Among the things audiences may be surprised to learn is that Tubman provided aid and comfort to the Union Army, never lost a “passenger” during her many trips escorting slaves from the South to freedom on the Underground Railroad, and was married but was separated from her husband by slavery. She kept his name, which was Tubman.

The production is part of the Prime Stage Sprouts series that makes stories based on literary works accessible to elementary students and their families.

The cast features Washington, D.C. native and McKees Rocks resident Maame Danso as Harriet Tubman. Other performers are Annie Rematt, Michele Renee Bankole, Sam Lothard and Issac Miller, who play multiple characters and sing spirituals.

A self-described “performing arts kid,” Danso called it an honor to play Harriet Tubman.

“It was daunting at first. For me to play a character like her I had to do a lot of homework to find out who she really was,” Danso said. “I will admit I was a little nervous, like, how can I pull this off? Her story was so big. It’s like she’s a Marvel character, a superhero and how am I going to play a character like this?

“It’s not like she’s a fictional character where I can match my own ideas and go from there. I’m playing someone who actually existed but also did something that was so larger than life.”

Director Haston, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, said Tubman’s story is something that people need to be informed about.

“It’s not usual for the females to be featured in a lot of the stories that come from that period,” Haston said. “I knew about her exploits, her joining the (Union) army to fight. She was also a spy for the Union army. Those are interesting aspects that are not really brought to light. The story is about her her spirituality and her strength during this period.”

Haston said she hopes, more than anything else, people come away from the play with knowledge.

“I tried to depict it where this could be done in any period. It’s not just about slavery. It’s about women’s liberation. It’s about the strength that women had to have in that period. The issue (Tubman) had was — ‘you need to go with me, now!’ and the strength to keep pursuing. Her belief in God and her strong spirituality was the only way she was able to do this.”

Haston said her work with Danso is about getting her to embody Tubman’s strength on stage. Danso said her goal is to portray the human side of Tubman.

“It just amazes me that someone like her was bold enough to leave behind everything to escape slavery on her own and to have the courage to go back and rescue her family,” she said. “That takes a lot of guts.”

As part of the preparation to bring “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad” to life, the cast and production staff will meet with Ernestine Wyatt, the great-great-great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman.

There will be a preview performance on Friday night, Jan. 20, and the official opening is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21. Both performances are at 7 p.m. There will be a sensory inclusive performance on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2:30 p.m. and an audio described performance on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2:30 p.m.