On the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Carrboro ArtsCenter’s production of “The Whipping Man” presents a refreshed look at the new responsibilities of three newly freed men at the end of the Civil War.
“The Whipping Man,” a play written by Matthew Lopez, features a Confederate soldier and two slaves who are waiting for their families after the end of the war. The three men, all Jewish, reveal deep individual histories that reach a shocking height as they celebrate Passover.
“There’s a lot of twists and turns, there’s a lot of revelations that come out among the three men,” said Jeri Lynn Schulke, the show’s producer.
The historic freedom celebrated with Passover provides an important parallel with the newfound freedom the men have received.
“Even though the (show’s) poster is a Confederate flag with Jewish stars on it, it’s not about the Confederates, and it’s not about Jewish families, even though that is the environment of the play,” said actor Victor Rivera, who plays Confederate officer Caleb DeLeon. “It’s about so much more — it’s about the relationships that these three men have and how they are such individuals.”
The show also focuses on the meaning of family.
“Certainly all these guys are searching for home and freedom, and what that means,” Schulke said.
“They’re trying to put their home back together, not just the physical home, but family itself. There’s a fair amount of discussion about what family is, and how we retain that, and how even though we are not related, we can still be a family.”
The show has been performed in numerous cities across the U.S. and has received critical acclaim and praise. Schulke hoped that by producing this show — in addition to two other shows that revolve around post-Civil War themes later in the season — that the local community will build new perspectives.
