ABOUT THE PLAY

CHANGING HISTORY

The Agitators tells of the enduring but tempestuous friendship of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Great allies? Yes. And at times, great adversaries. Young abolitionists when they met in Rochester in the 1840s, they were full of hopes, dreams, and a common purpose. As they grew to become the cultural icons we know today, their movements collided and their friendship was severely tested. This is the story of that forty-five-year friendship – from its beginning in Rochester, through a civil war, and to the highest halls of government. They agitated the nation, they agitated each other, and, in doing so, they helped shape the Constitution and the course of American history.

​

"Theater at its best. Teaching us, challenging us, reminding us of where we've been, where we are and how far we still have to go."

– Cedar Rapids Gazette

​

​

"A brilliant success in illuminating the rights of American citizenship – a powerful history lesson that needs to have a voice. In short, it is not to be missed." 
– Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

"In Mat Smart's powerful telling, what goes down between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass goes way beyond bio-rama. Here we see two noble seekers of equality and hear heartstrings of the history they left unfinished."

– DC Metro Theater Arts