Mount Misery: A Comedy of Enhanced Interrogations

Two prominent American figures. One parcel of land. All share a history that reaches across time from the genesis of the Civil War to the aftermath of the War on Terror.

On a plantation called “Mount Misery” in a small Maryland town, a teenage Frederick Douglass once fought his overseer and triumphed. This moment would permanently alter the course of Douglass’ life, freeing him from fear and building a new sense of agency.

Over 150 years later, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld bought the mansion and property to use as a vacation home. Andrew Saito’s new play, Mount Misery, juxtaposes Douglass and Rumsfeld’s life works and philosophies. This satire examines the United States’ inconsistent progress on issues of human rights and race by imagining the two men interacting across time.