A new play about the violent, highly partisan, disputed election of 1876 will be featured in a staged public reading on Capitol Hill. “Electionland” takes place in the waning days of Reconstruction, as efforts to ensure Black Americans a role in political and economic life after the Civil War were unraveling in the face of growing public opposition—and the resurgence of white political power in the South.
The reading will be performed by local actors and was written by DC playwright, Jean Parvin Bordewich, the former Staff Director of the Senate Rules Committee. Immediately following the public performance will be a panel discussion, led by former DC Mayor Sharon Pratt, about the historic consequences of the election’s three months of political maneuvering, backroom bargaining, and a Congressional process never used before or since. Electionland is directed by Jennifer Welch, founder of the documentary theater company, StoryWorks, which—together with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society—commissioned the play.
Free public event, registration is required.
