A Quiet Roar:
The Unparalleled Lives of Bayard Rustin & Sarah Mapps Douglass
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.
Cast: Leslie Hartshell (Sarah Mapps Douglass) & Najee Duwon (Bayard Rustin)
The program will run on Saturday mornings from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM and afternoons from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, through Labor Day, September 7, 2026.
Lead support for this program was provided by the William Penn Foundation.
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.
Meet the Director
Yvie Jones is the Program Director for Arch Street Meeting House’s Semiquincentennial Program featuring Sarah Mapps Douglass and Bayard Rustin.
A longtime dotcom and media arts professional, Yvie has written, edited, and produced multimedia projects for companies including Comcast Interactive Media, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, National Public Radio, Oxygen Media, the Sundance Film Festival, Time Warner, and the Wilma Theater.
Yvie is a medical actor and author who writes stories and tells jokes in every medium. She's a 2023 St. Nell's Humor Writing Resident, a Yes And Laughter Lab finalist, and a 2024 ScreenCraft TV Pilot Competition and Black Boy Writes Media Mentorship Initiative quarterfinalist. She also serves as an NEA Media Arts FY26 Grants for Arts panelist.
Meet the Cast
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Najee DuWon
as BAYARD RUSTIN
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 Arch Street Meeting House.
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Leslie Hartshell
as SARAH MAPPS DOUGLASS
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.