Mark Twain Museum Announces Black History Presentation on February 17th
Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 March 2011 17:28 Friday, 28 January 2011 16:42
Featuring Gladys Coggswell and W.T. Johnson
The Mark Twain Museum is pleased to announce “An Evening with Mary & Cathay” on Thursday, February 17th at 7 p.m. to celebrate Black History Month. Two different one-person shows will be presented citing tales of struggle and triumph during the Civil War era.
Gladys Coggswell, Mark Twain Museum Storyteller-in-Residence, will perform as Mary Ann Cord, a former slave who worked as a servant at Quarry Farm, the Elmira, New York house where Twain’s sister-in-law built him a hilltop writing study. Twain wrote, A True Story, Repeated Word For Word As I Heard It, after speaking with Cord in 1874. Cord’s tale of heartache, personal sacrifice and joy, told by world-renowned storyteller, Gladys Coggswell, is riveting. Following the story, Coggswell will sing, accompanied by Michael Gaines, Hannibal Arts Council Executive Director.
W.T. Johnson, Mark Twain Home Foundation Board member, will perform as Cathay Williams, the first only known African-American woman to serve in the Civil War. Williams disguised herself as a man and joined the Union’s war effort under the name William Cathay. Johnson has previously performed as Missouri native George Washington Carver, the scientist, botanist, educator and inventor as well as Augustine Tolton, the first African-American Roman Catholic priest.
“Our community is blessed to have such gifted performers share their talents,” said Dr. Cindy Lovell, Mark Twain Museum Executive Director. “These stories should be heard by all and never forgotten. They are an important part of our history.”
The Mark Twain Museum Gallery Gift Shop will be open during the event showcasing the wide selection of books relating to Twain, slavery and the Civil War. In addition, signed copies of Coggswell’s book, Stories from the Heart: Missouri’s African American Heritage, which recently won the Governor’s 2010 Humanities Award in Literary Achievement, will be available.
Admission to the event is free, but a $5 donation is suggested at the door. Reservations are encouraged but not required. For more information, please contact Ryan Murray at 573.221.9010 ext. 404 and visit the Mark Twain Museum website at http://marktwainmuseum.org
