Witness

In the mid-1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had reached the peak of its influence, with an estimated 4 million members nationwide. Karen Hesse's acclaimed children's novel, Witness, weaves a tale of fiction around the very real history of the Klan in the North during 1924. Exploring the nature of violence, racism and hope in simple free verse that compellingly delivers the horror and drama of early-20th-century racism. For its latest production, First Stage Children's Theater brings Hesse's drama to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in an adaptation of the novel by playwright John Urquhart. The production continues tonight with 1 and 3:30 p.m. performances.