PRESENT
Reading
FREDERICK
DOUGLASS
Together
A program of Mass Humanities made possible through funding from the Mass Cultural Council
EVENT SCHEDULE
Afternoon Event: Community Voices & Conversation
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Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
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Location: Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine St, Holyoke, MA
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Featuring: A participatory community reading of Frederick Douglass’s historic speech, followed by an intimate, insightful conversation with acclaimed Massachusetts playwright Ken Green.
Evening Event: Music, History & Drama
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Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
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Location: De La Luz Divine Theater, 92 Race St, Holyoke, MA
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Featuring:
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A soul-stirring performance and community sing-along of Lift Every Voice and Sing, led by the award-winning REVOLUTION A Cappella ensemble under the musical direction of Marcos Carreras.
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A captivating discussion with playwright Ken Green, featuring an exclusive preview of his powerful new play July 5th featuring REVOLUTION A Cappella — commissioned by the Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC), Founder and Music Director Eve Wolf, and Directed by MIFA Executive Artistic Director Donald T. Sanders, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
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Read Full Speech here:
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ABOUT THE EVENT
In a powerful celebration of Juneteenth, the MIFA Victory Theatre is proud to announce a city-wide day of reflection, music, and spoken word titled ‘Reading Frederick Douglass Together.’ Hosted in partnership with the Holyoke Senior Center, LightHouse Holyoke, and Holyoke Media, these two free community events will take place on June 17, 2026.
Holyoke joins communities across the Commonwealth in a growing cultural phenomenon: gathering to collectively read, reflect upon, and discuss Frederick Douglass’s monumental 1852 address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Members of the public are warmly invited to raise their voices and participate directly in the community reading. This event is made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities, with funding provided by the Mass Cultural Council.
* Notice of Filming and Photography During Public Event *
By entering this event, you consent to photography, audio, and video recording, as well as their release, publication, or reproduction for promotional, news, and web purposes, without compensation. You release MIFA Victory Theatre and its event partners from any liability connected with these recordings. If you prefer not to be included, please notify staff upon arrival.
Artists
Ken Green, Playwright
A Chicagoan currently residing in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. His plays include “In The Back/On The Floor,” produced by Chicago’s Stage Left Theater in the Spring of 2023, “July 5,” a full-length audio drama on the life of Frederick Douglass and commissioned by New York City’s Ensemble for the Romantic Century, “The F&L at 1330,” a full-length play that received a workshop performances as part of Moonbox Production’s Boston’s New Works Festival 2023, and “The Charles Lenox Experience,” a historical “moving play” commissioned and produced by New Repertory Theater in Watertown, Mass. in 2020. Other plays include “The Campaign,” “Your Favorite,” and “…And Then There’s Aaron Burr,”
all featured at the Boston Theater Marathon. Upcoming work includes “Loyalty or Liberty: Tales of Revolutionary Newport,” in Newport, Rhode Island, and “Tell Her What She’s Won, Johnny…” at the Moonbox New Works Festival in Boston, Mass.
Ken is a former Chicago news and sports reporter and editor, bad slam poet, and worse standup comedian. He was co-host/co-producer of Story Club Boston, a storytelling/reading series. He has been featured on the nationally televised storytelling show, “Stories from the Stage” on PBS, and has been a local Moth and Massmouth storytelling finalist.
REVOLUTION A Cappella
Music Director, Marcos Carreras
Founded in 2022, REVOLUTION is an award-winning a cappella powerhouse featuring Springfield’s elite vocalists from the Conservatory of The Arts, proudly representing Springfield Public Schools and The Fabulous 413. The ensemble tours the Northeast, competing at the highest levels, performing on premier college campuses, and participating in masterclasses with Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award–winning legends. Notably, REVOLUTION was honored to open for the iconic, Grammy-winning vocal group TAKE 6.
Learn more: www.springfieldconservatoryofthearts.com
Made possible by
NEA Required message: “Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”