Julia Getz, actor and educator will portray Deborah Sampson the Massachusetts State Heroine as she describes her life as Continental Soldier Robert Shurtlieff. She was a woman, prohibited from fighting for her country, who risked imprisonment and dishonor to do so. She will be joined by a small company of Minutemen in full costume. The material is based on the speech she gave when she toured Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York in 1802, along with her experiences recounted in her own words in the 1866 version of Hermann Mann’s “The Female Review ” originally published in 1797. The 1866 version edited by Adam Vinton contains Deborah Sampson’s rewritten descriptions of her impressive exploits. They describe an unusual woman who is now is the Official Heroine of the Commonwealth. Her story is a powerful example of courage, ingenuity and a fight for recognition in a world that often-denied women their place in history.
