Sydney Norton, author, will introduce Caroline and explain her connection to German immigrants in early 19th century.

Caroline is a former enslaved woman (played by Cecilia Nadal) who comes to us in the present using the wisdom of her past. She readily engages in conversation that probes the “whys” and “why nots” of our relationships with each other then and now. She comes to learn, share her experiences not as an object of history but as a woman wanting to see unity in the world by sharing one on one in a humanistic way. THEN AND NOW: CONVERSATIONS WITH A SLAVE uses history and performance art to create a relationship between the former slave and audience members as observers and participants. Caroline will share her personal story and guide the conversation. Audience members will be invited to have a one-to-one conversation without interruption with Caroline in front of the audience. The questions are whatever the audience member desires based on history and/or the “here and now.”

About Cecilia Nadal

Cecilia Nadal (Playwright) is founder and Executive Director of Gitana Productions. Since 1997 she has provided the creative vision for all programming including theater, musical and educational investments. Prior to Gitana she started and managed a successful social enterprise for 22 years known as Productive Futures Inc. Cecilia merged all of her interests into the Gitana mission of global healing through the arts receiving local, state and national attention from such organizations as Leadership St. Louis, Women of Achievement, YWCA Women in Leadership, the St. Louis Visionary Award, the national Encore. Org initiative and most recently she received the 2019 Missouri Arts Award for “Leadership in the Arts.