A fearless abolitionist returns from the grave. Experience this staged reading of "The Return of Benjamin Lay", starring Mark Povinelli.

One man. An uncompromising conscience. A fight to change the world.

Join us in Georgetown University’s historic Riggs Library for a staged reading of The Return of Benjamin Lay, starring Mark Povinelli, written by Naomi Wallace and Marcus Rediker, and directed by Ron Daniels.

Shepherd, sailor, revolutionary, and early abolitionist Benjamin Lay returns from the grave nearly 300 years after his death, demanding to be heard by the Quaker community that rejected his radical ideas. A four-foot “David” confronting the “Goliath” of slavery, Lay challenges us to consider what it means to stand against injustice—even when the world refuses to listen.

This one-person theatrical performance brings Lay’s extraordinary life and uncompromising convictions into the present. Following the performance, join actor Mark Povinelli and playwright and historian Marcus Rediker for a conversation moderated by Derek Goldman.

Monday, October 19, 2026
Riggs Library, Healy Hall, Georgetown University
3700 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20057

7:00–7:30 p.m. — Pre-performance reception
7:30–8:45 p.m. — Performance
8:45 p.m. — Post-show conversation

Admission is free. This registration is specifically for the staged reading of The Return of Benjamin Lay. Seating in Riggs Library is limited; please reserve only the places you intend to use and cancel your reservation if your plans change so that others may attend.

Presented by Georgetown University’s Department of Performing Arts / Theater & Performance Studies Program, Disability Cultural Center, Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, and Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies.