Mad River Theater Works: Freedom Flight resources

Produced by Mad River Theater Works, Freedom Flight is an original play with music that tells the tale of the most important incident in the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio. The show follows the story of Addison White, a slave who escaped from Kentucky and traveled the Railroad north to the small town of Mechanicsburg, OH. There, he was befriended by a farmer named Udney Hyde. He lived in Hyde’s barn, working for his meals by day and learning to read and write with the help of Hyde’s daughter, Amanda, by night.

Hyde was a suspected abolitionist, however, and it was not long before Addison was discovered by his former Master. Federal marshals surrounded Hyde’s cabin in the middle of the night. They were prepared to arrest Addison and return him to slavery, but over 100 citizens from Mechanicsburg confronted the marshals and demanded that they set Addison free. Freedom Flight uses drama and music, as well as riddles and rhyme, to create characters that emerge from the past and bring the Underground Railroad to life right before your eyes.

ABOUT THE NJPAC ON THE MIC PODCAST

NJPAC On the Mic is an audio resource that takes Schooltime Performances to the next level. This podcast series features three exclusive, curriculum standards-aligned episodes for all of NJPAC’s 2022-2023 Schooltime Performances. On the Mic offers students the opportunity to engage their listening skills, deepen their understanding of the performance, and learn about the process of bringing a live or recorded production to life. This immersive audio experience features a theme song by students in the NJPAC arts education program.

How to Listen to njpac on the mic podcast

Episode: ABOUT (6 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an introduction to the
performance, the artist or company, and the venue.

Episode: CONNECT (9 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for reflection questions, a closer
look at an aspect of the performance such as historical context or background on
the art form, and a brief selection of vocabulary words.

Episode: SPOTLIGHT (19 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an exclusive interview with
an artist from the production or an NJPAC staff member followed by discussion
prompts.