The Spark Weekly | July 12 | Democracy In Action with Braver Angels and Quill-adelphia
About this episode
The episode discusses democracy in action through community dialogue and an original musical about the U.S. Constitution.
We sit down with a longtime public servant and community leader—a retired CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, former Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Community & Economic Development, and former Clarion County Commissioner—who now volunteers with Braver Angels . He shares why fostering respectful dialogue, finding common ground across political divides, and embracing compromise are essential to strengthening our democracy and solving today’s toughest public policy challenges. What if the story of the U.S. Constitution wasn’t just about the Founding Fathers? On The Spark , we spoke with Mechanicsburg playwright Cindy Dlugolecki and composer Christine Purcell about Quill-adelphia , an original musical that shines a light on the lesser-known people behind one of America’s most important documents. The production centers on Jacob Shallus, the Pennsylvania Assembly assistant clerk who hand-penned the final copy of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, while also exploring the experiences of everyday citizens, the contributions of women, and early abolition efforts during the Constitutional Convention.
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