Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom's Witness
by
Teresa Miller
February 14-22, 2026
Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom's Witness is a powerful one-act play that brings to life the extraordinary journey of Ephraim Slaughter—born into slavery in North Carolina, who escaped bondage, fought as a Union soldier in the Civil War, and ultimately became a pillar of his community in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Through evocative storytelling, this original drama invites audiences into Ephraim's modest Harrisburg home on a single summer night in 1943, where voices of the past press against the present. The play explores the cost and complexity of freedom, the endurance of dignity in the face of erasure, and the quiet heroism found in survival and remembrance.
ABOUT
As Ephraim declares, "Freedom did not come with your papers. It came when I chose to live without permission!" This production is a collaborative effort of Sankofa African American Theatre Company, Gamut Theatre Group, The National Civil War Museum, and the Dauphin County Commissioners. Student matinees will be offered to all Dauphin County public, private, parochial, charter, virtual and home-schooled students, serving as both powerful theater and vital historical education.
Perfomance Dates
February 14, 2025 at 7:30 PM
February 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
February 20, 2025 at 7:30 PM
February 21, 2025 at 7:30 PM
February 22, 2025 at 2:30 PM
GAMUT THEATRE GROUP
15 4TH NORTH STREET
HARRISBURG, PA, 17101