• Horse and Carriage in front of Hampton NHS

    Hampton

    National Historic Site Maryland

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  • NEW GUIDED TOUR HOURS

    EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, tours of the mansion and farm site's buildings are offered on FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY ONLY from 10 am to 4 pm. Buildings are closed to the public Monday through Thursday. Grounds are open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm.

  • Vistior Contact Station Update-Construction Advisory

    Phase III will continue as designed and this is the longest phase of the project. The Entrance Road and Parking Area will be defined. PARKING IS VERY LIMITED AND BUSES ARE PROHIBITED FROM THE MANSION'S PARKING LOT. More »

Event Details

  • 02/10/2013

    Location: Orangery | Map Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM Fee Information: Free Contact Name: visitors' hyphen Contact Phone Number: 410 823-1309 x251

Dem Dried Bones is a One Act Play written and directed by Gordon Parks, Inspired by Victoria Smith, and based on "Fortune's Bones, The Manumission Requiem" written by Marilyn Nelson.

After hearing the story of "Fortune's Bones", Gordon felt compelled to share the story with others. Since theater is his first love, he decided to use the stage as the arena to enlighten the public.

 In a town in Connecticut, a skeleton has been present for over 200 years. It is now hanging in the Mattituck Museum.In 1996, the community decided to research its origin and found out that the bones were of a slave named "Fortune." When he died in 1798, his slaveholder, who was a bone setter, decided not to bury him, but preserve his bones for study. 

The play is performed as a "Home Going Celebration." It is an effort to eulogize, memorialize,and commemorate the life of a forgotten ancestor. "Dem Dried Bones" was written to educate, as well as entertain through singing, dancing, storytelling, with character enactments and monolouges. The audience is encouraged to participate through singing and dancing and making a joyful noise.