My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

THE ABOLITIONIST'S REFRAIN to Make World Premiere at Boston Center for the Arts

Malcolm Ingram stars in Michael Cormier's play about the Quaker poet's fight against slavery.

By:
THE ABOLITIONIST'S REFRAIN to Make World Premiere at Boston Center for the Arts

Malcolm Ingram, an Elliot Norton Award-winning actor, will portray Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier in a new original play "The Abolitionist's Refrain" at the Boston Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 30.

Set at the close of the Civil War, "The Abolitionist Refrain" by Michael Cormier is an intimate reflection on a pivotal moment in the life of John Greenleaf Whittier-a man remembered today largely for his pastoral poetry, yet once one of the fiercest abolitionist voices in America. Before literary fame softened his public image, Whittier used language as a weapon against slavery and injustice, helping to move a divided nation toward the recognition that every man and woman must count equally.

"This play asks us to reconsider what history chooses to remember-and what it allows to fade," said Punctuate4 Artistic Director Myriam Cyr. "At Punctuate4, we are committed to telling stories that matter. 'The Abolitionist Refrain' is one of those stories. It reminds us that progress is never inevitable; it is carried forward by individuals willing to risk reputation, comfort, and sometimes everything, in order to insist on the humanity of others."

Ingram has acted in London's West End and on Broadway, as well as on TV in the UK and US. Most recent local appearances include "Reparations" at Gloucester Stage (Elliot Norton Award), "Bedroom Farce" and "Sherlock's Last Case" at the Huntington Theatre and "The Chairs" and "Heisenberg" at Shakespeare and Company. Malcolm was an actor in the UK for twenty years before coming to America to study with the renowned voice teacher Kristin Linklater. He has appeared in "King Lear" and "Richard II" at Actors Shakespeare Project and at the Berkshire Theater Festival. Malcolm is a retired Associate Professor of voice and acting at Syracuse University's Department of Drama.

There are two performances only on Saturday, May 30 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. in the Nicholas Martin Rehearsal Hall at the Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston, MA. All seats are $20. For tickets and box office information visit https://bostonarts.org/event/abolitionist-refrain/.



Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Direction of a Musical - Top 3
1. Michael Arden - The Lost Boys
24.6% of votes
2. Michael Mayer - Chess
14.6% of votes
3. Lear deBessonet - Ragtime
11.9% of votes

Need more Boston Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...

Local Shows
The Hunchback of Notre Dame  in Boston The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Wheaton College - Watson Fine Arts (6/05-6/14) PHOTOS
Eureka Day in Boston Eureka Day
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket (6/04-6/20)
The Spongebob Musical in Boston The Spongebob Musical
Stageworks Arts (5/30-6/07)
Danish String Quartet: Listen Up! in Boston Danish String Quartet: Listen Up!
Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (7/31-7/31)
 Beetlejuice Jr. in Boston Beetlejuice Jr.
The Company Theatre (11/06-11/08)
Broad Strokes in Boston Broad Strokes
Huntington Theatre (6/04-6/06)
Therapy Gecko Live in Boston Therapy Gecko Live
Arts at the Armory (8/30-8/30)
Black Uhuru in Boston Black Uhuru
Payomet Performing Arts Center (6/19-6/19)
The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series featuring Norm Lewis in Boston The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series featuring Norm Lewis
'62 Center for Theatre & Dance (8/08-8/08)
DALLOWAY: FIRST LOVE in Boston DALLOWAY: FIRST LOVE
Gloucester Stage Company (8/13-8/29)


Videos