1 of 2
Equal Suffrage League of Richmond, VA, February 1915
2 of 2
St. John’s Church
Since 1976, the Founding Father and famous orator Patrick Henry has been reciting his renowned “Liberty or Death” speech — but in reenactment form. The popular seasonal presentations re-create the Second Virginia Convention at Historic St. John’s Church, in the exact spot where it occurred in 1775. This month, that familiar story is told by the ladies.
On Nov. 14-16 and 21-23, “Remember the Ladies: A Women’s Liberty or Death Reenactment” will feature women actors in the roles traditionally played by men. The special reenactments were originally planned to happen in 2020, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which, after decades of women’s suffrage, granted all women the right to vote in the United States. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was put on hold.
Dean Knight stepped into the newly created position of manager of educational programs and marketing for the St. John’s Church Foundation in summer 2024. A familiar face at Richmond’s theaters, Knight is the former programs coordinator at The Poe Museum and has been a tour guide at Agecroft Hall & Gardens. He is also no stranger to the “Liberty or Death” reenactments, having portrayed delegates including Richard Henry Lee and Robert Carter Nicholas since 2022. Knight’s background in both historical preservation and theater production sparked the revival of the all-women reenactment in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Henry’s speech as well as the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial in 2026 recognizing the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Knight says the gender reversal is a way to shift the modern perspective and allow viewers to gain a deeper understanding of Henry’s arguments and a better grasp on the pursuit of liberty. Directing the cast of nine is Jan Powell. The actors will retain the names of the original roles and pronouns, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Pendleton, Peyton Randolph and, of course, Patrick Henry. They will also don the traditional 18th-century male attire.
“What we’re going for,” Knight explains, “is not female versions [of the men] but giving nine women the opportunity to inhabit these people.”
Leading the cast is Bianca Bryan as Henry delivering the famous lines, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Additional cast members include Melissa Johnston Price portraying Randolph, the first president of the Continental Congress and convener of the Second Virginia Convention. Jackie Jones takes on the role of Pendleton, who presided over the convention that ratified the new U.S. Constitution.
While the characters and script will remain the same, the production does include a revised introduction and final words that have been written by colonial historian and storyteller Kate Egner. A manager at the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit American Battlefield Trust, Egner describes the intentional reimagining of the history that took place within the historic space 250 years ago, presented through the eyes of those who lacked the vote but did not lack a voice. As Egner says in her introduction: “For 145 years after Patrick Henry demanded liberty or death, women took up that rallying cry of liberty, and fought for political suffrage, for representation and for their voice — and their votes — to be heard.”
“Remember the Ladies: A Women’s Liberty or Death Reenactment” will be performed Nov. 14-16 and 21-23 at Historic St. John’s Church. Tickets are $15.
