It’s a story of bravery with a Canadian connection.
Margaret Harman was the daughter of a slave owner being forced into a marriage she did not want. Confiding in a friend who was one of her father’s salves, he suggested that if she helped him to escape to Canada, he would eventually marry her.
Using this story as background, George McNeish wrote the short story, “Singing in The Chapel” which was then adapted to the play, “My Name is Margaret Harman.” The play is currently playing at the Arts Project, with all the proceeds of the play and the books sold go to supporting The Fugitive Slave Chapel.
London has a lot of history when it comes to slavery. The chapel was a place of refuge for those fleeing slaveries in the United States. It is rumoured that the abolitionist, John Brown, spoke in the Chapel in an attempt to recruit an army to fight in war against slavery. The chapel is believed to have been built in 1850, but most recently the chapel needs a lot of donations to keep the building intact.
The play will run until Saturday February 11th. The show will be presented at 8 pm, each day with a matinee at 2 pm on Saturday. Tickets are $18 advance, and $20 at the door.