American Historical Theatre:
We Educate! We Entertain! We Inspire!
American Historical Theatre has been providing educational, engaging, and entertaining First-Person programming for over three decades. AHT's focus is to tell the stories of the heroes and heroines of our political and cultural past. In many cases, these are the stories of ordinary people who decided to do something extraordinary; Such is the case of Rosa Parks.
- Rosa Parks has yet to be developed by AHT and we feel that the time is just right. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the day she made history in 1955!
- The United States Congress has called her the "First Lady of Civil Rights" and "The Mother of the Freedom Movement."
- What did one young woman on a Montgomery Alabama Bus do to deserve such accolades and why? What was she thinking? What drove her to her actions and what did she hope to achieve? How did this change her life, and the lives of others in the United States?
- Providing the answers to these questions in an educational, entertaining, first-person program is the work of American Historical Theatre.
- With your help, AHT will bring Rosa Parks' story to new audiences. The story will be told by Rosa herself, as portrayed by first-person interpreter Alexandra Ford.
Why is this campaign called: Adopt a Character?
Because we need to research, write the script, costume, and present Rosa Parks, and we need your help!
- Your contributions will pay for her books, her schooling, her clothing, and all the preparations needed to raise the character of Rosa Parks up in the world.
- Miss Ford has her work cut out for her. For Rosa Parks, Miss Ford will need to gain a complete understanding of Rosa Parks, the United States in the 50's, a segregated South under the Jim Crow Laws, and the growing Civil Liberties movement. That takes many, many hours of time and devotion, but she still has to live in the 21st Century and that takes money.
- December 1st, 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest. It is also the date that Miss Ford will be ready to debut Rosa Parks at the Powel House in Philadelphia. Donors at the $100+ level will receive an invitation to her first-person presentation and the reception to follow.
- Donors at the $50 and $25 level will receive items crafted to remember the important anniversary. They are of course, also encouraged to attend her debut on December 1, 2015.
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If the financial goal we set is not reached, it will be harder on AHT. We are a very small not-for-profit, but we are still are committed to bringing up Rosa Parks.
The Impact your donation may make:
Rosa Parks said: "I'd see the bus pass by me every day...but to me, that was a way of life; we had no choice but to accept what was the custom. The bus was among the first ways I realized there was a black world and a white one."
- Rosa Parks' story will serve to remind all who hear it that we cannot always stand by and observe the status quo. Sometimes, we have to take a seat to be heard and knowingly place our personal comfort aside in order to bring about the changes that will help "We the People..." form that "...more Perfect Union" that is our Nation's promise.
- Perhaps the next Rosa Parks, the next Frederick Douglass, or the next Malala Yousafzai may be sitting in our audience. They will be inspired by the true stories of personal bravery, and someday they may take their opportunity change the world for the better. Your donation will have helped to make such an inspiration possible.
- This is Phase 1 of our Adopt Rosa Parks campaign. $3500 will get her to the Powel House on December 1, for her 60th Anniversary.
- Phase 2 will be a call to action to go the rest of the distance and develop a curriculum relevant program for school age students. We then need to actually bring the performance to the students or bring the students to the performance. Again, this takes money and we need your help!
This is AHT's first effort at Crowd-funding.
It is hard to ask for money, but AHT's devoted Actor-historians depend upon non-profit funding to keep their important work going. We strive to keep history alive and relevant so that the rising generations aren't doomed to make the mistakes of those who came before them. Perhaps they may even choose to model their actions on the stories of those people who accomplished great things.
If we only achieve part of phase one this time around, that will still be a great start. If you can't donate now, there are other ways you can help.
- Even if you are unable to contribute financially, you still can help! Share this campaign with your friends and followers. Every share helps, and AHT thanks you for it.
- Indiegogo has customizable share tools! Rosa Parks did what she could to insure that we continue to live in a free country, so Feel Free! to explore the possibilities of how you can help us get her message out to the rising generations, And, potential donors.
- If we are successful, there will be future campaigns because there are many more great stories to tell. AHT plans to "adopt" Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, John Hancock, and Frederick Douglass to name a few. You can continue to get the word out, create a buzz, and help us continue to achieve our goals: to Educate, Entertain, and Inspire!