History As Performance Draws Big Barnes Crowd

Thursday evening proved to be a big hit for many who turned out to see a "living history lesson" performed on the lawn of The Barnes Museum. 

The story of Elizabeth Keckley, also spelled Keckly, (1818-1907), as told by Stephanie Jackson in "They called me Lizzy ... from Slavery to the White House," is a true account of Elizabeth Keckly, author of "Behind the Scenes, 30 Years a Slave and Four Years in The White House," and a well-known dressmaker to Mary Todd Lincoln.

Jackson originated the the role of Lizzy since launching the show in 2006. The one hour drama was written and directed by Kandie Carle, who recently delighted audiences at Barnes with her own depiction of a "Victorian Lady", and what really happens when getting into a corset.

"The oratory style is one that people really respond to," said Stephanie Jackson. "If the same lesson were taught in a classroom, some might lose interest just by the nature of feeling the history was a requirement." 

Jackson is dressed in a period blue dress as she tells the story in a conversational tone. The only other props are a dress form that starts out bare. As "her story" unfolds the form is dressed in layers including hoops for petticoats. 

"I wanted to cry after hearing how her life took its turns," said Bev Zaniewski of Burlington. 

The story emphasizes a woman's perspective, particularly what it was like to be a person of color. Although Keckly is physically beaten and used sexually by "owners," she prevails in her determination to be free. It was through her own entrepreneurial savvy that Keckly purchased her own and her son, George's, emancipation. 

Keckly formed a friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln that sustained her for many years. The relationship was ultimately compromised when Keckly's published book, meant to explain Lincoln’s motives for selling wares for income after her husband’s assassination, was advertised as sensationalism. 

Following the performance audience, members asked how Jackson remembered so many details. Jackson said it was a three-month process to get it to flow. For more information and booking availability, visit: http://www.ehsco.org/.