Links to the Underground Railroad

My Friend and fellow Quaker Susan Banyas has transformed a remarkable family discovery into an eclectic artistic work that will premier in Portland in mid-February.

Susan's discovery of the Civil War diary of her great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Edwards, was the inspiration for "No Strangers Here Today."

The diary, dated 1864, was written in code, strongly suggesting that Edwards and her family were links in the famous "Underground Railroad," a surreptitious network that lead escaped slaves from the South through the North and on to freedom in Canada.

Susan has told the story of her grandmother and the movement in a performance of music, dance and narrative.

The premier presentation of "No Strangers Here Today" will be Feb 16-18 at the Interstate Fireside Cultural Center. The production will then go to Los Angeles for a Feb. 25 performance.

For more information, visit the "No Strangers Here Today" web site.