In the aftermath
of the Civil War
things got complicated

PORTLAND — Portland Stage presents “The Whipping Man” by Matthew Lopez opening Friday, Feb.27, and running through March 15, with preview performances February 24 and 26.

The Civil War has ended, the struggle has only begun. A wounded, Jewish, Confederate soldier returns to find his family gone and only two former slaves remain. As they cobble together a Passover Seder, the men grapple with a changing social order, newfound freedom and buried secrets.

This three-character, award-winning play takes place in Richmond, Va., at the close of the Civil War. A wounded confederate soldier, Caleb, who is the son of a wealthy, Jewish family, is discovered by Simon, his former slave, who has been waiting at their ruined house for the return of his own wife and daughter. Simon, who has spent time in field hospitals during the war, notices the gangrene on Caleb’s leg and informs him that the leg needs to be amputated. As they argue over what to do, they discover John, another former slave of the family, lurking outside. John has been looting the surrounding abandoned homes. Caleb finally consents for Simon to perform a gruesome amputation with John’s assistance.

The next morning as Caleb sleeps, John and Simon discuss their futures, and decide to stay with Caleb in the house at least for now. After John reminds Caleb, however, of a dark episode in their childhood friendship, tensions between the former master and former slaves intensify. As they reveal darker and darker secrets, Simon urges them to come together and hold a Passover Seder. During the ritual, the fragile peace is broken again and John accuses Caleb of desertion from the army, and of having a secret relationship with Simon’s missing daughter.

It is revealed that Simon’s wife and daughter are not coming back, but have been sold during the last days of the War. When Simon learns that John knew of this previously, he reveals that Caleb and John are in fact half-brothers, and leaves them to face this new realization.

“The Whipping Man” confronts some of the difficult questions raised by slavery and the American Civil war, especially the conflict between human ownership and compassion. It asks: what responsibility does someone bear when you or your family owns slaves, even if you treat them like family? Are we personally responsible for someone’s suffering, even if we didn’t personally create the conditions which cause them to suffer? The play depicts three men who attempt to outrun their mistakes and hide their pasts, while simultaneously forcing the audience to confront America’s own past.

What is freedom and how can we use it? Every character is in a situation of newly- acquired freedom: Simon and John as freed slaves, and Caleb having left the Confederate army. This freedom, however, doesn’t bring them peace, only more questions about their future. “The Whipping Man” forces us to look equally at the price of captivity and of freedom, taking an uncommonly personal look at America’s painful past.