1 of 2
(From left) J. Ron Fleming Jr., Jerold Solomon and Keydron Dunn onstage in “Gabriel” at Firehouse Theatre
2 of 2
(From left) J. Ron Fleming Jr., Sydnee Graves and Mikaela Craft onstage in “Gabriel” at Firehouse Theatre
Before the Black Lives Matter protests, before the civil rights movement, there was Gabriel. Born into slavery in Henrico County sometime in 1776, he was held in bondage by tobacco plantation owner Thomas Prosser. Unlike many who shared his status, Gabriel became literate. He also developed considerable skills as a blacksmith, skills that were in demand at other plantations to which he was allowed to travel. Gabriel put his earned privileges to good use. During the summer of 1800, he organized the largest slave rebellion in Virginia history.
Gabriel’s plan for rebellion extended across Richmond and Petersburg all the way to Norfolk and encompassed at least 10 counties. Had the plan been successful, the state armory would have been captured, the capital overtaken, and then-Gov. James Monroe would have been a hostage. Instead, the plot was thwarted by a torrential rainstorm and later revealed by two enslaved tipsters. Gabriel was captured and then hanged on Oct. 10, 1800, on the land that now sits below Interstate 95 near Main Street train station.
Today, there are many Richmonders who have never heard of Gabriel — who, like other legendary historical figures, including Cleopatra, Hannibal, Gandhi and Napoleon, was known by a single name. Chicago-born Ron Klipp, a Richmond-based composer and lyricist, became fascinated with this part of history that was “not just lost but buried.” He began work on “Gabriel” the musical, now onstage at Firehouse Theatre, before the pandemic shut down most of Richmond theater. The delay provided the time needed to address an obvious problem with the production: Gabriel is an important part of Black history, and Klipp is white.
“Did I have a right to write this or have anything to do with it?” Klipp says he asked himself.
He sought assistance from first cousins Foster and Jerold Solomon, both veterans of the Richmond theater community. Foster agreed to direct and share writing credit. Jerold plays the role of Gabriel.
“The story itself blew my mind because I’d never heard of it,” says Foster, who joined the creative team three years ago and set about adding theatrical elements.
“Ron is an amazing musician and comes up with amazing lyrics and music,” says Jerold, who adds that being a part of the creative team as well as the cast has been a new experience, allowing him to have more input into the process.
All three agreed that “Gabriel” should help viewers draw connections from history to the present. But given the historic and controversial nature of the topic, why create a musical? Foster says the cycle of emotions generated by the story can be theatrically enhanced through music. The finished product contains more than 20 songs in genres ranging from pop to blues to jazz, making the historical elements fresh and accessible.
“One of the themes of our show is how stories of African American resistance have not simply been forgotten, but have been intentionally left out of the telling of our nation’s story,” Klipp says via email. “Sometimes, I suppose that’s because this history seems to contradict the more comfortable, uplifting story so many of us prefer. But, in my opinion, downplaying stories like [that of] Gabriel robs us of some of the greatest benefits of history — learning from our wrongs and moving forward with perhaps a bit more humility.”
“Gabriel” is onstage at Firehouse Theatre through Oct. 2. Tickets are $25 to $38.
