'The Whipping Man' explores slavery and freedom
The coincidence of history brings us this little-known fact: two days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox was the first night of Passover. A few days later, President Lincoln was assassinated here in Washington at Ford's Theatre. This unexpected confluence of events captured the imagination of playwright Matthew Lopez. The result, The Whipping Man, is a taut and formidable small play that b…