ivey_play

FROM FREEDOM TO SLAVERY: SUSAN IVEY’S JOURNEY (BASED ON A TRUE STORY)

A play researched and developed by Micah, Carlus and Jasmine, in collaboration with Mark Auslander and Andy Offit Irwin

PROLOGUE

ELLEN Good evening. My name is Ellen Ivey. My mother was Susan Ivey. Back during slavery times, she was a free woman of color, one of the very few free black women living in Newton County, Georgia. But then, in December 1863, she sold herself into slavery. Sold herself into slavery! How could that be? Sometimes, lying in my bed at night, I try to imagine the decisions she had to make. Sometimes I imagine I can hear the faint sounds of singing as she was singing to me.. (OFF STAGE: SUSAN SINGS “SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT”) ...singing to me, while I was still inside her belly. SCENE ONE SUSAN WALKS AS SHE SINGS TO HER UNBORN BABY, “SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT”

My child, my child, we gonna meet your wonderful father. Although he’s a white man, he’s a wonderful man. And I know he’s gonna take care of us. I just pray the Lord be with us as I break the blessed news to him. SUSAN WALKS ALLURINGLY PAST THE JUDGE ON THE PORCH My Judge... JUDGE My girl... Come up here and set a while. SUSAN SITS ON THE PORCH BESIDE THE JUDGE JUDGE I was just thinking of you SUSAN What were you thinking? JUDGE Oh, never you mind, my girl, never you mind. Now what business do you have here? SUSAN I have wonderful news for you, my Judge JUDGE And what’s your news, girl? SUSAN I’m with child JUDGE With child? (Silence) Whose child? SUSAN

Your child, my Judge, our child! You’re not happy, my Judge?

JUDGE This is what you’re gonna do. You hear? You’re gonna take care of this whole problem. You’re gonna find one of those women who can arrange a miscarriage. SUSAN LEAPS TO HER FEET SUSAN A miscarriage?!

I’m not killing our child. JUDGE

Sit down girl. (LOUDER) Sit down! SUSAN But my Judge, I can’t kill our baby! Well, if you don’t want to deal with this child situation---there is an alternative solution. SUSAN An alternative? JUDGE Yes, An alternative has just occurred. Let us say that I have recently been informed that you have not been paying your five dollars tax a year to be a free woman, due each year at the Inferior Court. SUSAN I have been paying! I’ve been paying my five dollar Free Persons task every year since I turned twenty! JUDGE That’s not what my papers say. And I am the only one who can rule on such matters! So there’s going to be an auction at the steps of the Courthouse. You will be seized by the Sheriff and sold into slavery at auction, along with your unborn child. SUSAN An auction? But I’ve been free all my life! I refuse to be sold. JUDGE (LAUGHS) I don’t think you would will any say in the matter. We’d just be following the law! Should be a mighty fine auction. And I know some gentleman from the Savannah brothels, and they just love ( caresses her arm) fine young woman such as yourself. SUSAN SLAPS THE JUDGE’S ARM AWAY. THE JUDGE LEAPS UP AND STRIKES HER WITH HIS WALKING STICK. SUSAN FALLS TO THE GROUND. JUDGE (STANDING OVER RAISING HIS WALKING STICK)

Look a here girl. You are very fortunate. I could have you arrested for striking a white man. And the penalty for that crime is hanging, swift and sure. SUSAN ercy, your honor, Mercy. Have mercy and me and my child. JUDGE Make your decision by the end of today, girl. Leave my presence. Come Monday, you know what will happen if you don’t make the right decision. SUSAN AND THE JUDGE EXIT. ELLEN WALKS ONTO THE STAGE ELLEN I wonder how Mama felt when that man rejected us. Who would she turn to?

SUSAN WALKS TOWARDS CAROLINE’S HOUSE, TALKING TO HER UNBORN BABY SUSAN There’s only one way to protect you, my child, my love. I’m gonna sell myself to slavey to Miss Caroline, a white woman. Then no one can come after you, not even the Judge. ‘Cause then we’ll legally belong to Miss Caroline, and be her property. I can’t let them take you away from me. I’m gonna have her buy me, buy you, buy us, for you. Man leave me choice, he burden me with this child. I can’t do this, (TURNS AWAY) but I have to protect you. I have to do it for you (SHE TURNS BACK) She’s our only hope. And here’s Miss Caroline’s porch, and here’s Miss Caroline. I gotta pray before I can go on. Father, I need you, I need you right now, help my child, Although she a white lady I pray that you bless Miss Caroline. Heavenly father, I don’t know which way to go. Oh Jesus help me, the man came and took everything I had, within a matter of minutes. Miss Caroline is the only way out. I pray that you Bless her through me.. Bless me through Miss Caroline. I have come in contact today with a white man, who rejected. Now I need to go another white person, Miss Caroline, I pray she’ll take us in. Amen. Pull yourself together.

SUSAN KNOCKS TENTATIVELY ON THE PORCH RAILING Miss Caroline? CAROLINE Come in, child. SUSAN I’ve come in dire need. CAROLINE Have a seat, child, and tell me all about your worries. SUSAN

I must tell you, Miss Caroline, I’m child I feel. I feel... CAROLINE Spare your words, honey. I know what you’re going through. Your mother send me a letter here, told me what happened. CAROLINE COMFORTS SUSAN CAROLINE When do you want all this to happen? SUSAN Today, it must happen today to save me from the Judge’s wrath. Otherwise, he’ll sell me and my child into the Savannah brothels CAROLINE I don’t like the courtroom. But given your needs, I do accept. I will purchase you from yourself. CAROLINE COUGHS Now, go down to the well and fetch me some water. (SUSAN LEAVES) My dear old sweet Jane asked me to do this. And she did see me through hard times. It is hard, but I suppose we do need work around the house.

ELLEN RETURNS TO STAGE ELLEN And I remember the moment when Miss Caroline was on her death bed, and called us in to tell us the truth, to give us a message from our mother. MISS CAROLINE IN HER BED, WITH SUSAN’S DAUGHTERS AMANDA AND ELLEN KNEELING, WEEPING,AT HER BEDSIDE AMANDA Oh, Miss Caroline, we can’t lose you, we can’t lose you. CAROLINE Oh hush, my darling, don’t you know I’m going somewhere better. I’m going to the Kingdom. Why, I’ll be seeing your beautiful mother soon, in the better land.

MISS CAROLINE My dearest ones, I have some documents for you. First, there some letters your mother wrote to the two of you, before she passed from this earth. Ellen, first here is your letter. Please stand and read it so I can hear it. ELLEN READS THE LETTER

Dearest one, There is not much for me to say, except that I love you with all my heart. I trust that with the passage of time, you have blossomed to be the woman you want to be, not a woman whom anyone else wants you to be. If you are reading this letter, I am no longer here with you, I wish to tell you that the freedom you have now, to raise your head proudly and speak aloud, has not always been given. If you are not with liberty, i tell you to hold strong, my child. For soon your entire life will turn around, as mine did. Having you and your sister is and was the best thing to have ever happened to me. I love and cherish you, your mother

CAROLINE Your mother was a beautiful writer, even if she never let most white folks know she could read and write. Amanda, how you have grown. And this is for you (HANDS HER A LETTER) AMANDA This is from my mother? CAROLINE Yes dear, now go ahead and read it. AMANDA

Dearest Amanda, You are the bravest child I know, You stood with your Mama in her darkest hour. You never turned your back on me. Don’t worry about your little sister, I know she’ll be just fine. If you are reading this letter, I know that my body is no longer of this earth. But my spirit will still be watching over you. I just pray that your stars are brighter than some of my days. The life I have chosen for you and your sister is not one of terror, but a precious gift of education and accomplishment. I love you, my baby girl. Your Mother CAROLINE And now I have a bag and a letter my mother charged me to keep for you girls, to give to you when you were old enough to understand. (SHE HANDS AMANDA THE BAG AND LETTER) CAROLINE READS THE LETTER:

This is my last will and testament. Here, in the the bag that Miss Caroline has kept for you, is the money for which I sold myself. With this money, I wish you to pursue your education, studying at a college devoted to the education of young women of color. Be proud of your people, be proud of who you are, and make us all proud of you.

CAROLINE Did you know your daddy was a Judge? I just opened your mother’s final letter, after all these years, and learned who he was. This is the letter your mother wrote to that man, whom she once loved and who so cruelly forsook her. She wrote it the night before she passed away, That was the very night before General Sherman and the Yankees marched through Covington, and declared that every slave in this County was forever free. You mother wanted me to send this letter to that man. I never sent it, since I thought it was too dangerous for you girls. But I always kept the letter, so you could read it one day and learn what a remarkable woman your mother was. Looking at her beautiful penmanship, I can almost hear her voice, as if she is standing her before me...

SUSAN IVEY COMES FORWARD AND READS HER LETTER TO THE JUDGE

November 17, 1864. Covington, Georgia My Judge, As the cannons roar, the Union troops march forward from Atlanta towards Covington, where tomorrow, I am sure in my heart, they will free all of us, all of us sons and daughters of Africa. I hear tell that next they will march to the sea, and free Savannah. Savannah, where you once sought to cast me and my child into the Lion’s Den. Last year I was forced to sell myself into slavery, I thought for all eternity. Now, I am grievously ill of body. I may not live to see the dawn. Yet I’m not thinking of that, for I know my two little girls will grow up in the light of freedom. You may have turned your back on these two wonderful children. But our nation-- once again to be reunited-- will not turn its back on them. I pray that you, who sought to tear asunder our bonds of love, will think upon all you have lost. Even if the Lord has darkened your eyes, I know that the future belong to my girls. I remain, Susan Ivey, in my heart, a free woman of color, proud and true.

ALL CAST GATHERS TO SING “SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT”

1