(2012) Directed by Kirsten Sanderson. With Kathleen Chalfant and Stephanie Berry; Tonya Pinkins and Lisa Pelikan (2013). To be presented at the Pittsburgh Humanities Festival (March 2015).

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[Excerpt]

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

And now for the latest headlines. President Truman has sent a special message to Congress this morning calling for civil rights legislation with anti-lynching and anti-poll tax provisions. He has called for an end to segregation on interstate transportation and instructed the Secretary of Defense to come up with a plan to eliminate discrimination in the armed forces. In other news…

(CLAIRE TURNS OFF THE RADIO)

CLAIRE

Looks like our president has finally grown a backbone.

LEXI

Now the cows is out of the barn, he gonna close the door.

CLAIRE

As Winston Churchill said, Harry Truman is a very modest man… with a lot to be modest about.

LEXI

Better late than never, I guess. I wasn’t gonna vote for him anyway.

CLAIRE

Who are you planning to vote for?

LEXI

I was raised Republican.

CLAIRE

Republican?

LEXI

Both my parents were slaves, Lincoln was a Republican, and he freed the slaves, so they were Republicans.

CLAIRE

That was a long time ago.

LEXI

Being a slave’s not something you’re likely to forget. What about you?

CLAIRE

I’m a Democrat. It’s the party of FDR.

LEXI

It’s also the party of Sanders Shackelford.

 CLAIRE

That’s a very unfortunate coincidence.

LEXI

And FDR’s dead, so that’s gonna make it harder to vote for him.