Quill-adelphia graphic
Cindy Dlugolecki, a 76-year-old playwright from Mechanicsburg, has a remarkable family tie to the U.S. Constitution — her first cousin six times removed, Jacob Shallus, served as the calligrapher who handwrote the historic document.
Her original musical, QUILL-ADELPHIA, will showcase this history next month at Gamut Theatre, coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The show describes Shallus’ journey from a PA Assembly assistant clerk under Pennsylvania President (equivalent to a modern-day governor) Benjamin Franklin to a calligrapher for the Constitution. Additionally, the musical highlights female activism and humor within the songs.
“This show was primarily written to honor the man whose name was never included in the history books,” Dlugolecki said. “Secondly, I’d like people to become acquainted with the Constitution, recognize when it is being violated, and to treasure our democracy.”
Dlugolecki said she began the writing process nearly a decade ago in 2016, researching through Arthur Plotnik’s book, “The Man Behind the Quill.” She later purchased the dramatic rights to the book.
Chris Purcell, the show’s composer and a music professor at Harrisburg Area Community College, said, “I hope the audience’s political awareness is raised, and they are left feeling like they had an entertaining and uplifting experience.”
The musical is sponsored by the American Association of University Women Harrisburg Branch and will premiere on July 12 at 2 p.m. at Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg. Anyone who wears red, white, or blue will receive a free gift.
Ticket prices are $30, with proceeds benefiting AAUW’s mission to support the education and advancement of women and girls by helping to meet those needs on a local level.
To purchase tickets for QUILL-ADELPHIA, visit their website.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
