“The Emancipator,” written by Elihu Embree, the first abolitionist publication, would be nothing without her: Nancy.
On Jan. 21, at 2 p.m., the award-winning play, “Nancy,” written by Anne G’Fellers-Mason was performed in the Bach Theatre at the Martin Center.

This production was a collaboration between Heritage Alliance, McKinney Center, Chester-Inn Museum, ETSU Black American Studies and ETSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance. The production was free and open to the public. However, donations were taken for the Heritage Alliance.

Dr. Daryl Carter, director of Black American Studies at ETSU, gave a speech before the show.

“How proud I am to partner with the theatre and dance department,” said Carter.

The script was researched, written, and directed by Anne G’Fellers-Mason. She also served as the prop master in the show. The play is based on the publication of the local Jonesborough paper, “The Emancipator” during the early 1800s. It followed the perspective of Elihu Embree’s, black slave, while Embree was writing “The Emancipator.” The play took place in Nancy’s home, and it was set over the course of one year, from January 1820 to January 1821.

“His story nobody asks about Nancy’s story,” the play states. “We got names. Nancy. My name is Nancy.”

The show had realistic props. It lasted one hour with eight scenes. The sense of time was portrayed by props and movement of the set. Nancy was portrayed by Ubunib-Afia Short. She gave an outstanding one-woman show. The play explored themes of slavery, criticism, death, fear, heartbreak, freedom and livelihood.

Photo of Nancy. (ShelC’ Black/East Tennessean)

“Alright, Nancy here is your future, time to claim it as such,” the last words of the play rang in the theatre.
After the show, there was a brief question and answer with Short and Mason.

Mason talked about her research on Nancy and “the Emancipator” before and after its publication and Embree’s death. She talked about the culture Jonesborough and Tennessee had before the Civil War, and how it was mixed between abolitionists and slave-owners. Mason mentioned the importance of Nancy and the impact of African Americans during the pre-Civil War era.

“Early papers of abolitionists were inspired by the ‘Emancipator,’” said Mason. “Without this connection with Nancy, the paper would have never had happened.”

Short talked about how she took the role of Nancy. She once said she would never take a slave role and only take strong roles. However, after researching her family and their sacrifices, how they were shunned in history, she realized Nancy was a strong role she needed to play.

“They were tick marks, and they didn’t have names, I had to tell their stories,” said Short. “They were pillars of strengths that I had to take the role.”

For more information on the Heritage Alliance, visit heritagall.org or their social media handles: Instagram @heritage_alliance or Facebook @HeritageAlliance.

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