Upon. His. Back.

So we must dream.
We must not be dreamers of the night.
Dreamers that sleep through inspiration.
Let us be dreamers of the Day. Dreamers of action
And vision.
Of reconciliation and peace.
So dae.
To dream.
So dae.
To reach.
So dae.
To arrive . . .
At a place.
That place is here.
That place is now.
We have arrived.

Upon His Back He Carries Them:  The Prempeh Play

Carl Freundel

The strength of many lies in unity.

“There is an African saying, so dae, that means “to dream.” I have a hope that with this performance we can right a wrong. The wrong resides in the fact that history has largely overlooked this man, Prempeh, and the heroic choices he made to preserve life. How can the world not know of this great man from Ghana, known as Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I? In a world weary for peace, for examples of personal sacrifice and putting the needs of others above their own, you would think we would be parading this great man’s life as an example of legendary vision, courage, and victory.”

You know who wrote all the words you’ve read in this post? One man. My man.

Carl continually humbles me with the words that flow from his hand.  And when the script is put to words and action, it’s pure magic. Several years ago Carl was commissioned by the Smithsonian to write a play about this great Ghanian leader. James Brown-Orleans played the part of Sunsum and later left D.C. to enjoy a successful run in The Lion King on Broadway.

Carl staged the play again this fall, with the very talented Ke’an Black as Sunsum and Duke Ellington School for the Arts graduate, Nailah Gosnon as Bogya.  Bill Hauserman’s set boasted a “tree of life” that was twenty feet across and a stage full of dirt. Wild!  James Fasching crafted a full sized Adinkra cloth which replicates one held by the Museum of African History in Washington D.C. It was an incredibly powerful production and it’s message of self sacrifice and peace really hit home considering our current global state.

The play will run through Saturday night at CCBC Catonsville. 8 pm both nights.  It’s live theatre. It’s an experience that requires audience investment, interaction and the return is precious.

And the icing on the cake? James drove down today to watch the show with us He headed back right after the show to sing “The Circle of Life” tonight at 8.

Carl, your gift is from God. And I am excited to watch Him continually use you to speak life giving words . . . words of peace . . . words of love. You amaze and humble me with your artist’s heart.

I am so blessed to be your wife.