Sam Morrison, the senior secretary for First-Year Writing, is performing this weekend in The Gentleman Rests, what Sam calls “a modern oratorio of sorts,” composed by Dave Ruder. On his website, Ruder describes the piece this way:

In The Gentleman Rests, composer Dave Ruder (thingNY, Varispeed) sets transcripts of a 2001 special session of Congress to music the ironic drama of Al Gore (as President of the Senate) following congressional protocol and gaveling over a series of objections from Congressional Black Caucus members, hastening the end of his presidential ambitions. After two months of post-election chaos in Florida in late 2000, this session was the final step declaring Bush the winner. The Congressional Black Caucus repeatedly tried to raise objections about the results from Florida, citing widespread disenfranchisement and irregularities (that, as usual in the history of US voting, impacted African-Americans hardest), and each objection was turned away because no senator would second them.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday, 10/27-29, at JACK, in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. All performances start at 8pm. Find more information and clips at Ruder’s website. Tickets can be purchased through JACK.