In All Thy Getting: The Forgotten Story of Freedmen’s Town

Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Inc. presents the stage play In All Thy Getting: The Forgotten Story of Freedmen’s Town. This is a one weekend event to take place at The Ensemble Theatre (3535 Main),  Friday, June 16th through Sunday June 18th.

The dual plot of In All Thy Getting: The Forgotten Story of Freedmen’s Town explores the lives of a young husband and wife, thriving (financially) in the city of Houston but floundering in their marital pursuit of happiness.

The plot is complicated by their responsibilities as caregivers to the husband’s 99 year old paternal grandmother, who resides in what she calls Freedmen’s Town.

While their newfound success has afforded them the opportunity to move away from what the husband remembers as a poverty-stricken and drug-infested Fourth Ward, they’ve remained in order to take care of an elderly grandmother suffering from dementia.  The couple does not understand the grandmother’s adamant pleas to preserve her home, Fourth Ward and its bricked streets; nor do they understand her pleas with them to reconcile their marriage.

Through grandmother’s hallucinations, dreams and even brief moments of cryptic clarity, we learn about Fourth Ward’s beginnings as Freedmen’s Town.

Most importantly, though, the young couple, as well as the audience, learn about the power of preservation.

Grandmother’s voice represents the forgotten martyrs of Freedmen’s Town.  While their faith and fervor have created opportunities for newer generations to “get more”, they would surely want us to abide by the scripture that says, ‘In all thy getting, get an understanding’ – Proverbs 4:7.

In All Thy Getting: The Forgotten Story of Freedmen’s Town makes two things abundantly clear: 1) the arts matter, and 2) the people matter.

Playwright Holly Charles, M.A. and The Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum have merged these two ideals into a stage play which exposes the community to the art of theater, while informing Houstonians about a rich, yet forgotten history.

Our intentions are to take advantage of the diverse talents of this city and, at the same time, use them to build cohesion and pride in a national treasure, The National Register Historic District of Freedmen’s Town.

Ticket Information

Tickets are $25 each and are available for online purchase at the end of April.  Purchase by visiting http://www.rbhy.org/in-all-thy-getting-main/ or by visiting http://www.ensemblehouston.com/.

Individual Dates & Times*

* Please check with the presenting organization or venue to confirm start times and/or duration.