Celebrate Juneteenth at Arch Street Meeting House with special FREE performances of A Quiet Roar: The Unparalleled Lives of Bayard Rustin & Sarah Mapps Douglass at 11 AM and 12:30 PM.
It's the summer of 1948, and dynamic civil rights activist Bayard Rustin has a very important speech to prepare for at Arch Street Meeting House. But outspoken 18th-century educator, activist, and artist Sarah Mapps Douglass doesn’t know who this young interloper is.
A Quiet Roar is a theater performance that bridges the lives of Rustin and Mapps Douglass, two phenomenal Black Philadelphian Quakers who walked the halls of Arch Street Meeting House a century apart. Their writings and experiences come to life by highlighting the complex, often overlooked intersections of race, faith, and freedom in the United States. Written & Directed by Yvie Jones.
Run Time: 30 minutes
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) at ASMH practices unprogrammed, silent worship. Following the performance, the audience will be invited to engage in a 30-second moment of silent reflection and a Q&A.
Performance Schedule: Every Saturday through Labor Day (September 7, 2026) at 11:00 am & 12:30 pm.
CAST
Leslie Hartshell (Sarah Mapps Douglass) & Najee Duwon (Bayard Rustin)
Leslie Hartshell is a Philadelphia based actor with credits in several short films and an original theatrical production, Savannah. She has trained at Playhouse West Philadelphia, as well as the Wilma Theater, building a strong, character-driven approach to her craft. Passionate about telling meaningful stories, she is especially excited about the opportunity to portray Sarah Mapps Douglass and bring her legacy to life.
Najee DuWon is an actor from the Philadelphia area. After briefly attending East Stroudsburg University, where he studied both Theatre and Music Theatre, he starred in various short and featured films over the last few years. After taking the stage in “Carnelian,” during the 2023 Fringe Festival with Spare Titles Productions, as well as in 2025 with Yellow Bicycle Theatre's, “A Marine Walks Up to the Pearly Gates,” he again steps up as he portrays Bayard Rustin in “A Quiet Roar,” with the Arch Street Meeting House. He looks forward to paying homage to him, and he thanks his friends and family for supporting him throughout his career.