Big Quarterly, a hip-hop gospel musical, spotlights the legacy of Peter Spencer – a formerly enslaved man turned pastor who founded the nation’s first wholly independent Black church and sparked the Big Quarterly–a joyful reunion for freedom in Delaware that exists to this day. For those not yet free, Big Quarterly was a chance to secure passage on the Underground Railroad.
The show begins as a DJ weaves together oral traditions, selecting just one to set the timeless story of Peter Spencer in motion. We witness the shared tragedy endured by Peter and his brother, leaving Peter alone and distrustful of his entire world. Later freed at seventeen, Peter is faced with the contradiction of a sudden grace amidst suffering. He ultimately accepts his freedom as his call from God and sets out to build a new life in Wilmington, Delaware, where he becomes a natural leader, meets his future wife Anna, and secures admiration by all. Initially welcomed into the white church, the joy soon wears thin as Peter and his people are subject to ever increasing racial oppressions. Peter leads his people to fight against the dominant power system, forming their own church, but in doing so, they nearly lose it all.
Perpetually haunted by deep childhood wounds in the face of outer powers, Peter’s private battle threatens to unravel his life’s great mission. Through the grace of God, he discovers the underground hidden family secrets that provide him a path to finally, truly be free.
