6/20-23: Gitana Productions Presents An Amazing Story: German Abolitionists of Missouri

This provocative original play is inspired by the amazing stories of such remarkable individuals as Friedrich Munch, Judge Arnold Krekel and August Boernstein; German immigrants and leading abolitionists in the State of Missouri. Through the lens of history, we will bring to life all of the elements of what it means to strive for social justice for “others” when advocating within and outside of one’s own cultural group. While many Germans who came to the Midwest were staunch defenders of a “color-blind” democracy some immigrants set aside their values in order to survive and be accepted during the period before and after the Civil War. As is the case with most Americans there are often contradictions in our beliefs often colliding and challenging us to clarify what is most important. The German story is an important American story…where the ideal of Democracy brings together unlikely and diverse champions!