MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's School of Humanities, in partnership with the Sankofa African American Theatre Company, will present two performances of its annual Martin Luther King Day play. This year's production, The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, explores the life and legacy of the influential 19th-century writer, abolitionist, and activist.

The performances will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. on campus at the Penn State Harrisburg Kulkarni Theatre in the Student Enrichment Center, and on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at the Whitaker Center Sunoco Performance Theater in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The performances, sponsored by the Kulkarni Cultural Series, are free and open to the public. Reserve tickets here.

The play is based on an original concept by Lynette Overby, professor emerita of theatre and dance at the University of Delaware, and has been adapted by Sharia Benn, founder, president and executive artistic director of the Sankofa African American Theatre Company.

The production brings Harper's artistry and activism to life. Her story embodies the message that art, intellect and moral courage can bend the arc of history. The performance will feature Benn as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and is co-directed by Maria Enriquez, associate teaching professor of theater in Penn State Harrisburg's School of Humanities. Penn State Harrisburg students and the Sharing Our Legacy Dance Theatre are also featured in the play.

Born free in 1825 Baltimore, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper rose from orphaned child to one of the most powerful voices of her century. A poet, abolitionist, educator and suffragist, her words lit fires for justice a century before King's dream. She published the first short story by an African American woman and delivered fiery speeches on abolition, temperance and women's rights across the U.S. and Canada.

Click here for more information and to reserve tickets.