O'Neill Theater Festival: Along the River Road" by Candace Perry

In 1811 Louisiana, 500 enslaved people, led by Charles Deslondes, revolt against brutal sugar cane plantations, marching toward New Orleans for freedom. This largest North American slave revolt was erased from history by slave owners. In 2026, Beth Sanders, a Black woman from the River Road, returns to tell their story. Using her wealth, she buys and restores a plantation to give tours from the enslaved perspective. Facing resistance from politicians, family, and the community, Beth’s journey intertwines past and present, exploring the revolt’s legacy and the country’s struggle to confront its history.One sentence summary:In 1811 Louisiana, a major slave revolt led by the enslaved Charles Deslondes is forgotten by history, while in 2026, African-American Beth Sanders fights to reclaim and share this hidden legacy amid opposition.Bio:Candace Perry is a writer, teacher, and social justice activist who holds the audacious hope that theater can change the world.  Over fifty of her short plays have been produced in the US and Ireland; her five full length plays have had readings, workshops and productions in New York and Cape Cod theaters; and a dozen of her short plays have been produced online.  Her short stories have been published in Ms. Magazine, The Sun, Best of THE SUN, Cape Cod Review, Cape Cod Women, Roanoke Review, and Summer Home Review. She was commissioned by the Four Square Theater Collaborative to develop her play, Along the River Road, and is delighted to have the opportunity with the O’Neill Festival to develop the play further.  More info at www.candaceperryplaywright.info (http://www.candaceperryplaywright.info/).