Written by Abraham Tetenbaum, directed by Janeece Flint; Cast: Veronica Duerr

Play Summary: The year is 1802 and Deborah Sampson, now happily married, is on a national speaking tour, trying to rally support for legislation granting war pensions to the women who fought in the American Revolution. She tells the story of her life, beginning with the news that her father was "lost at sea." With her mother unable to care for her, Deborah is sent to work for Madame Thatcher, a Tory sympathizer, and later as an indentured servant for the Thomases, a family with 10 boys! Deborah closely follows political developments and, after a brief stint as a substitute teacher, avoids an arranged marriage to "a local yokel" by disguising herself as a man and enlisting in the Continental Army. She is wounded twice, witnesses the death of her friend, and performs surgery on herself to remove a musket ball. Finally, she succumbs to a fever and her secret is revealed. For her service to her country, she is given an honorable discharge.

Content Standards: Theatre: (Grades 3-12) Historical and Cultural Context (3.2), Aesthetic Valuing (4.1,4.3), Artistic Perception (1.0,1.2); English: (Grades 3-12) Listening and Speaking (1.0,1.1), Writing (2.0,2.2), Literary Response and Analysis (3.1,3.2,3.3,3.6); History: (5.4,5.5,5.6,8.1) Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy.

Grades: 3-12 Subjects: T, E, H/SS Cost: $350

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