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United States Bill of Rights, 1789

Mah Own Constitution 
by Henrik Eger

Synopsis

This short, historical drama takes us inside the world of James Madison, Jr. (1751–1836), hailed as the "Father of the Constitution,"  and the main author of the United States Bill of Rights. The play is set in his office on his estate in Montpelier, VA, with its 180 slaves. 
Charity, Madison's dedicated maid, finds his various drafts and tries to make sense of them, misunderstanding practically everything. When she discovers the phrase "We the people," she realizes that Madison left out two important groups of Americans. Feisty Charity then takes action.

Characters

CHARITY, middle-aged slave, pleasantly plump, who was taught the alphabet while serving as a maid and house-keeper at Mr. James Madison’s estate in Montpelier, VA. When she, with great effort, tries to decipher Madison’s drafts of the Bill of Rights, she reads all of his words very slowly, in simple, yet powerful ways, trying to imitate Madison’s elevated tone, trying in earnest to understand. However, when she comments on those fragments, she speaks fast, without any restraint, and misunderstands practically everything that she reads, leading to many comic moments. 

JERICHO FESTUS, middle-aged slave, serving as cook at Madison’s estate. He likes to taste from Mr. Madison's many bottles of wine, without permission, and enjoys the company of women of all ages, especially the feisty Charity, who never lets him get away with anything. 

Excerpt

"May ah borrow them and some papers? Ah only need one page. Ah want to write mah own Constitution. Just a few words. It won’t be fancy like yours, but it’ll include us womens and us negroes. What da ya think, Maste’ Madison? All ah needs a sheet uh pape', your quill, and a bit uh ink. (Determined) Yeah, ah will write mah own Constitution, ya bet. Mah. Own. Constitution. And then we really have what ya wanted, but didn’t do in your Constitution. Mah own Constitution fah eve'yone. Ya said the other day, “We, the people.” That’s what ah likes. "We, the people.”
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