Josiah

Josiah is a powerful one-man theatrical work that chronicles the extraordinary life of Josiah Henson, a man born into slavery in Maryland who becomes a beacon of freedom and leadership. The play traces his harrowing journey through the brutality of enslavement—the auction block, backbreaking labor, and systematic dehumanization—before following his courageous 700-mile escape with his wife and four children from Kentucky to Ontario, Canada, in 1830. Upon reaching freedom, Henson transforms into a community leader, educator, and conductor on the Underground Railroad, personally guiding 117 people to liberty. He establishes the Dawn Settlement near Chatham, Ontario, a vital refuge for those seeking freedom. The narrative also illuminates how Henson's published autobiography inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, cementing his place in literary and historical consciousness. Through shifts in voice, posture, and energy, the solo performer embodies Josiah and the myriad characters who populate his story, creating an intimate yet expansive portrait of survival, faith, and resistance against overwhelming adversity.