Cataract House
Plot and Main Characters
There are incredible stories within the history of America that have never been told.
This is one of them.
In the summer of 1853, Niagara Falls was the “must-see” destination for travelers from around the world. Writers, politicians, celebrities, the wealthy, Southern Enslavers, and Free Black people all came to see the Indigenous “Thundering Water” and American Wonder of the World – And if they wanted to impress their friends, they would stay at the internationally known Cataract House Hotel.
Established in 1825 along the banks of the Niagara River, the historic Cataract House was a world-renowned luxury hotel that became one of the most important Underground Railroad locations in the nation. Under the leadership of head waiter John Morrison, its African American wait staff led double lives as secret Underground Railroad agents helping countless freedom seekers escape to safety in Canada.
Not only did they have precision in their appointed work – the detailed choreography that transformed the dining rooms into a dance of courses- but also in the sophisticated maneuvering they organized which freed hundreds of freedom seekers from bondage.
The story of the Cataract House is being developed as a musical for the stage by Kamala Boeck in collaboration with the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center and The Becton International Black Theater & ARTS Consortium (TBIBT). By combining text, song, and traditional African American dance forms, the Cataract House will bring to life and celebrate the incredible story of freedom along the Niagara Frontier.
Characters
The Staff
Catherine Polk – Pastry Chef, female, Black, age 40.
The heart of the Cataract House – surrogate mother, sister to many of the staff. Born in Baltimore, MD.
Albert Jones – Cook, male, Black, age 33.
married to Martha Jones. From North Carolina.
John Morrison – Head Waiter, male, Black, age 44.
The head of the staff, guide, mentor, and hero. Humble in his work, but commands respect from all, including his employers. Originally from Illinois, half Cherokee. Born 1819. Nee Samuel Taylor.
Lewis Hamilton – Waiter, male, Black, age 35.
Efficient, friendly – . From Washington, D.C. Eventually opens Hamilton’s General Agency and Intelligence Office.
James Patterson – Waiter, male, Black, age 23. From Tennessee.
Jerome Jeffrey – Waiter, male, Black, age 23. From Louisiana.
Luke Green – Waiter, male, biracial, age 22.
Educated, Deaf and mute. Bilingual French/ English – from New Orleans reads/writes.
Samuel Bonds – nee Michael Taylor – newest waiter, male, Black, age 20.
Served in the Home of Major Taylor – uses the pseudonym of Samuel Bonds. Has left his parents behind. He is John’s nephew. From Illinois.
Hotel Owner -
Solon Whitney – Owner –male, White Age 34.
The Guests
Nancy Berry - Enslaved to Mary Berry, female, Black, age 18. From St. Louis, MO.
Mary Berry – Newlywed, female, White, mid 40’s from St. Louis, married to Henry Cox – is fond and jealous of Nancy. She is older than her new husband.
Henry (H.S) Cox – Leather Barron from Philadelphia, male, White, 30’s newly wedded to Mary Berry.
Franz Weinberg - German Guest, male, Jewish, White, 20’s , artist.
Blackwell – Guest and slaveholder of Martha, male, White, 50’s. From North Carolina.
Martha Jones – Freedom seeker / Wife to Albert Jones, female, Black, 30’s. From North Carolina.
Chorus – Number flexible - double as waiters, Samuel’s mother, residents of Niagara Falls, etc.
