AFTERMATH (1919)
by Mary P. Burrill
This one-act play was first published in April 1919 in Max Eastman’s periodical, “Liberator”
A Virtual Staged Reading
Directed by Gayle Stahlhuth
THE CAST
Leo Ebanks, Anthony Goss, Brandon Dion Gregory,
Marie Louise Guinier, Alexa Kent, Emerald Rose Sullivan
"The story is simple and courageous - and is brilliantly performed." -
from Tom Sims review in "Exit Zero"
"The play is wonderful. I'll forward the link to all my students requesting that they watch it.
Fantastic as always, Gayle" -
Barbara Morris, Professor at St. John's University who teaches
20th Century African-American Studies, among other courses
Available on ELTC's YouTube Channel
Click Here to Go Directly to the Video
The premiere is on Wednesday, April 6 at 8:00 PM
The day the United States declared war on Germany in 1917
Available for viewing anytime for free through midnight Saturday, April 9
The day Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865
Black soldiers whose ancestors were enslaved in the United States,
went to France to fight for the United States in World War I.
Wouldn't the bravery of these heroic soldiers stop the lynchings?
On March 9, 2022, Congress finally declared that lynching is a Federal Crime.
In 1900, Rep. George Henry White from NC, the only Black member of Congress at that time,
proposed that there be Anti-Lynching Legislation. It was turned down.
This is the same George Henry White who founded the town of Whitesboro in Cape May County, NJ.
"Aftermath" tells the story of a Black soldier during World War I who was awarded the French War Cross
for single-handedly fighting off twenty German soldiers, only to return home to discover that his father
has been lynched. This play foreshadowed The Red Summer of 1919, when race riots started by white supremist groups, occurred throughout the United States.
ELTC's virtual reading of "Aftermath" is part of The New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s (NJTA) “Stages Festival” celebrating it's 25th Year. The Festival runs from March through May, offering performances,
workshops, and classes throughout the state. To see the full schedule visit https://njtheatrealliance.org/stages-festival
workshops, and classes throughout the state. To see the full schedule visit https://njtheatrealliance.org/stages-festival
For those who watch "Aftermath," the NJ Theatre Alliance would like you to take their online 4-minute survey for a chance to win 1 of 4 $50 VISA GIFT CARDS! Only adults 18+ are eligible to win a VISA GIFT CARD. Responses to this survey help the Alliance evaluate their programming to ensure they are providing the best theater experiences possible. Click here for the survey.
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
NJTA's "Stages Festival," is made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts,
a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey;
OceanFirst Foundation; and The New Jersey Historical Commission.
a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey;
OceanFirst Foundation; and The New Jersey Historical Commission.
MEET THE CAST, DIRECTOR, AND PLAYWRIGHT
MEET THE CAST, DIRECTOR, AND PLAYWRIGHT
Leo Ebanks (Lonnie) Recent credits: Grown up Who Ensemble in "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (The Old Globe), Hud in "Hair" (The Old Globe), Tonton Julian in "Once on This Island" (Moonlight Stage Productions), Benedick in Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing" (San Diego State University), Billy Nolan in "Carrie the Musical" (Onstage Playhouse), and Georg in "Spring Awakening" (Grossmont College). @ItsJust_Leooo on Instagram.
Anthony Goss (Rev. Luke Moseby) is an actor/writer from Boston, Massachusetts. He has 'worked the boards' on various stages throughout New York City and is currently in production with Woody King's New Federal Theatre Off-Broadway in the World Premiere play “Gong Lum's Legacy.” He has appeared in TV and films and loves discovering new plays, creating stories and advocating for youth arts. It's a pleasure and privilege to work on this classic African American Drama and with East Lynne Theater. AG2G
Brandon Dion Gregory (John) was born and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia and currently lives virtually; going wherever the work calls him. Gregory’s recent stage roles include “Thoughts of a Colored Man” (Syracuse Stage, Baltimore Center Stage) where Broadway World says, “Brandon Dion Gregory delivers an expressive and heartfelt performance as Passion. His smile lights up the stage.” Before that, “The New York Times” said Brandon is a whole lot of “fun” on stage in the twist on the holiday classic – “Christmas Carol in Harlem” (Classical Theatre of Harlem.) If you are addicted to your screen, you may have also seen him on BET’s “Let the Church Say Amen,” Showtime’s “Homeland,” ABC’s “Resurrection,” and commercials for Reese’s and Crunch. If your ears are working, you may have heard his voice for Tim Horton’s and Toyota. Brandon has studied and taught acting at Penn State University and is currently an Acting Instructor for the New York Film Academy as well as a private coach. For more about Brandon’s journey, check him out on IMDB and IG: @thebrandongregory
Marie Louise Guinier (Mam Sue) Although the last two years limited opportunities to perform in person, she appeared several times via Zoom with the Metropolitan Playhouse (“Aunt Betsy’s Thanksgiving” and “Hearts”), with the New Federal Theatre and now in “Aftermath” with the East Lynne Theater. In person performances include “Eating the Wall Street Journal” by Pope.L at MoMA, “Messiah” at the iconic La MaMa Theatre, “Scissoring” (INTAR Theatre) and “Evensong”* at APAC (*NY IT nomination for Best Featured Actress) both written by Christina Quintana, “On Strivers Row” and “Self” both at the Metropolitan Playhouse and early on in “Patience of Nantucket” at the Boston Center for the Arts where she received an IRNIE nomination for Best Actress. Film & TV work include “Strive” with Danny Glover, “Confession” directed by Dayna Hanson (in post-production) – and on the small screen, HBO’s “High Maintenance” (including Fingerbutt episode 307) and ABC’s “What Would You Do?" Grateful to The Most High. www.resumes.actorsaccess.com/marielouiseguinier
Alexa Kent (Mrs. Hawkins) is making her East Lynne Theater Company debut in “Aftermath.” Recent credits include “I Love Christmas Movies” with RWS Entertainment and “A Simple Vow” directed by Zoey Martinson. Alexa has a BFA for Acting in Film/TV/Voice-Overs/Commercials from Pace University and you can find more about her and her training at alexakent.com. Thank you to Gayle for this opportunity!
Emerald Rose Sullivan’s (Millie) previous theatre credits include “The Mountaintop” at Hattiloo Theatre, “”Riots: B’Hoys Do Macbeth at the Metropolitan Playhouse and “Pipeline,” “The Mountaintop,” “Knock Me A Kiss,” “The Piano Lesson” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Her TV/Film credits include: “FBI: Most Wanted”, “Gotham”, “Baby Ruby” and “Meaty.” Emerald Rose received her BA degree in Acting from Pace University.
Gayle Stahlhuth (Director) has performed off-Broadway (Manhattan Theatre Club, etc.), in national tours (Cabaret, Fiddler, etc.), regional theater (Gateway Playhouse in Long Island, etc.), television, and radio. Other work involves directing cabaret shows in NYC, starting a dinner theater in Billings, MT, and creating a Medieval Festival at The Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. A Year in the Trenches (2017), marked her 100th production for ELTC since becoming the company’s artistic director in 1999. She’s been awarded commissions from The National Portrait Gallery, the Missouri and Illinois Humanities Councils, and grants from the NJ Humanities Council, the NYS Council on the Arts, and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for the Arts. For several years, she was a judge for the Emmy Awards in the field of broadcast news. In 2016, she was honored for her work in theater by The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, Dramatists Guild, and NAPW.
MARY P. BURRILL (Playwright: AUGUST. 28, 1881 — MARCH. 13, 1946)
Mary P. Burrill was born in Washington D.C., where she attended the all-Black M Street High School later named Dunbar High School. In 1901, her family moved to Boston, where she attended Emerson College, and, in 1904, became the first Black student to graduate from this institution.
Returning to Washington D.C. in 1905, she taught at Armstrong Manual High School and then the Washington Conservatory of Music and School of Expression, where she was the Director. Burrill then taught English, Speech, and Drama at Dunbar High School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1944. Many of her students went on to writing careers, including Willis Richardson who was the first Black playwright produced on Broadway, and May Miller who was the most published playwright of the Harlem Renaissance.
In 1919, Burrill’s play “They That Sit in Darkness” was published in Margaret Sanger’s “Birth Control Review,” a monthly publication that advocated for women’s reproductive rights. That same year, “Aftermath” was published in the “Liberator,” a socialist periodical edited by Max Eastman. The play anticipated the events of the Red Summer of 1919 when racial riots started by white supremist groups, took place in more than three dozen cities in the United States. “Aftermath” wasn’t performed professionally until the Krigwa Players produced it in 1928. Many one-act plays with political overtones, embracing such topics as women’s suffrage and lynching, written before 1920 were published in periodicals so that they could be read in private homes and discussed.
The Krigwa Players, co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois and playwright Regina M. Anderson in 1925, sought to advance the careers of Black playwrights and actors. The company received acclaim from both Black and white critics, however, after an argument with playwright Eulalie Spence in 1927, Du Bois left the Players. After his departure, he contacted Burrill to ask permission for the Players to enter “Aftermath” as their bid for the 1928 Little Theater Competition at the Frolic Theatre. Burrill agreed, unaware that Du Bois was no longer affiliated with the Krigwa Players.
This 1928 production of “Aftermath” made Burrill the second Black woman to have a show on Broadway. Other plays that night were written by Eugene O’Neill, Susan Glaspell, and J.M. Barrie. “The New York Daily News” wrote: “The Krigwa Players presented the only original play of the evening.” The ending, however, was criticized – an ending Burrill did not write nor was she informed this change had been made. The Krigwa Players ended the play with the hero being shot and dying onstage. Upset about this change, Burrill wrote to Du Bois and went to his home, but he would not see her. When he finally wrote to her, he admitted that he had not read “Aftermath” and was not involved with the production, since he was no longer involved with the Krigwa Players.
Lucy Diggs Slowe, another remarkable woman, was Burrill’s partner for twenty-five years. She received her BA from Howard University, where she was one of the nine original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the first sorority founded by Black women. After graduating in 1908, she returned to Baltimore to teach English in high school. During the summers, she started studying at Columbia University, where she earned her Masters of Arts degree in 1915. During this same year, Slowe moved to Washington D.C. to teach at Armstrong Manual Training Academy and to be with Burrill. The two had met three years prior. In 1917, Slowe won the national title at the American Tennis Association’s first tournament, making her the first Black woman to win a major American sports title. In 1922, she was appointed the first Dean of Women at Howard University, the first Black woman to serve as Dean of Women at any American university.
Burrill and Slowe’s home at 1256 Kearney Street became an important gathering place for female Howard students and prominent writers and artists. Burrill left Kearney Street to move into an apartment in 1937 when Slowe died from kidney disease. In 1944, Burrill moved to New York City, where she died two years later. She is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, Washington D.C. City Council member Kenyan McDuffie introduced a bill to build eight new statues depicting “accomplished women and people of color who were born and raised in D.C.” The bill identifies four names, including Mary P. Burrill. The Slowe-Burrill house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 for “its significance to African American and LGBT history.”
Mary P. Burrill was born in Washington D.C., where she attended the all-Black M Street High School later named Dunbar High School. In 1901, her family moved to Boston, where she attended Emerson College, and, in 1904, became the first Black student to graduate from this institution.
Returning to Washington D.C. in 1905, she taught at Armstrong Manual High School and then the Washington Conservatory of Music and School of Expression, where she was the Director. Burrill then taught English, Speech, and Drama at Dunbar High School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1944. Many of her students went on to writing careers, including Willis Richardson who was the first Black playwright produced on Broadway, and May Miller who was the most published playwright of the Harlem Renaissance.
In 1919, Burrill’s play “They That Sit in Darkness” was published in Margaret Sanger’s “Birth Control Review,” a monthly publication that advocated for women’s reproductive rights. That same year, “Aftermath” was published in the “Liberator,” a socialist periodical edited by Max Eastman. The play anticipated the events of the Red Summer of 1919 when racial riots started by white supremist groups, took place in more than three dozen cities in the United States. “Aftermath” wasn’t performed professionally until the Krigwa Players produced it in 1928. Many one-act plays with political overtones, embracing such topics as women’s suffrage and lynching, written before 1920 were published in periodicals so that they could be read in private homes and discussed.
The Krigwa Players, co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois and playwright Regina M. Anderson in 1925, sought to advance the careers of Black playwrights and actors. The company received acclaim from both Black and white critics, however, after an argument with playwright Eulalie Spence in 1927, Du Bois left the Players. After his departure, he contacted Burrill to ask permission for the Players to enter “Aftermath” as their bid for the 1928 Little Theater Competition at the Frolic Theatre. Burrill agreed, unaware that Du Bois was no longer affiliated with the Krigwa Players.
This 1928 production of “Aftermath” made Burrill the second Black woman to have a show on Broadway. Other plays that night were written by Eugene O’Neill, Susan Glaspell, and J.M. Barrie. “The New York Daily News” wrote: “The Krigwa Players presented the only original play of the evening.” The ending, however, was criticized – an ending Burrill did not write nor was she informed this change had been made. The Krigwa Players ended the play with the hero being shot and dying onstage. Upset about this change, Burrill wrote to Du Bois and went to his home, but he would not see her. When he finally wrote to her, he admitted that he had not read “Aftermath” and was not involved with the production, since he was no longer involved with the Krigwa Players.
Lucy Diggs Slowe, another remarkable woman, was Burrill’s partner for twenty-five years. She received her BA from Howard University, where she was one of the nine original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the first sorority founded by Black women. After graduating in 1908, she returned to Baltimore to teach English in high school. During the summers, she started studying at Columbia University, where she earned her Masters of Arts degree in 1915. During this same year, Slowe moved to Washington D.C. to teach at Armstrong Manual Training Academy and to be with Burrill. The two had met three years prior. In 1917, Slowe won the national title at the American Tennis Association’s first tournament, making her the first Black woman to win a major American sports title. In 1922, she was appointed the first Dean of Women at Howard University, the first Black woman to serve as Dean of Women at any American university.
Burrill and Slowe’s home at 1256 Kearney Street became an important gathering place for female Howard students and prominent writers and artists. Burrill left Kearney Street to move into an apartment in 1937 when Slowe died from kidney disease. In 1944, Burrill moved to New York City, where she died two years later. She is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, Washington D.C. City Council member Kenyan McDuffie introduced a bill to build eight new statues depicting “accomplished women and people of color who were born and raised in D.C.” The bill identifies four names, including Mary P. Burrill. The Slowe-Burrill house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 for “its significance to African American and LGBT history.”
