Ryan Scott Oliver

“WHAT YA CALL FREEDOM” from ROPE
From Rope in Concert at 54 Below (6 of 8)
Performed by MARY CLAIRE MISKELL

Later in the story, Shy meets his long lost sister, Stefa, who has an affinity for dressing up in boys clothes. Stefa’s best friend is the slave Reggie, and she dreams of a world where her mother will free Reggie and all the slaves, and maybe even Stefa can find her own sort of freedom.

“I GO ON WITH YOU” from ROPE
From Rope in Concert at 54 Below (5 of 8)
Performed by CHARLIE FRANKLIN and MATTHEW MCFARLAND

Clay vows to get Shy home to Virginia, escaping the vicious gangs of New York and pushing a path into the heart of the Civil War. Yet with all the danger ahead of them, Clay and Shy vow to journey together come what may.

“MY LASS, SHE TIED HER LACE TO ME” from ROPE
From Rope in Concert at 54 Below (4 of 8)
Performed by CORY JEACOMA, IAN FAIRLEE, DAVID PARK and DANIEL YEARWOOD

The pivotal moment when Clay chooses to tie to Shy, giving his friend sight. The onstage band of storytellers, The Daybreak Boys, blesses their union with a song.

Video/Graphics by Nessie Nankivell

“ALL MEN ARE TIED TOGETHER” from ROPE
From Rope in Concert at 54 Below (3 of 8)
Performed by MAURICE MURPHY with IAN FAIRLEE, MARY CLAIRE MISKELL, DAVID PARK and DANIEL YEARWOOD

Along the journey, Daniel, the man who practically raised Shy, offers Shy and Clay a final sermon that despite their differences, in this life all men must bond together, for only then, may true brotherhood be found.

Video/Graphics by Nessie Nankivell

“I HAVE SEEN THE AFTER” from ROPE
From Rope in Concert at 54 Below (2 of 8)
Performed by ETHAN CARLSON, CORY JEACOMA with IAN FAIRLEE, MARY CLAIRE MISKELL, DAVID PARK and DANIEL YEARWOOD

America, during the Civil War, 1864. They are an unlikely pair: Clay, a gang-thief determined to find life’s fortune alone; and Szajda (“Shy”), a ghostly Jew with an Irish accent, blind but possessing a remarkable power. Yet they become tied at the waist with a length of rope, stuck together on a desperate quest through a Civil war-torn America. As their journey begins, each boy struggles to understand the stranger beside him.

Video/Graphics by Nessie Nankivell