{"id":546677,"date":"2026-04-15T18:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harrisburgnewsnow.com\/news\/story\/546677\/the-fighting-quaker-brings-americas-250th-birthday-to-the-stage-in-a-onenight-benefit-event-at-el-portal-theater.html"},"modified":"2026-04-15T18:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:36:09","slug":"the-fighting-quaker-brings-americas-250th-birthday-to-the-stage-in-a-onenight-benefit-event-at-el-portal-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.honolulunewsnow.com\/news\/story\/546677\/the-fighting-quaker-brings-americas-250th-birthday-to-the-stage-in-a-onenight-benefit-event-at-el-portal-theater.html","title":{"rendered":"The Fighting Quaker Brings America’s 250th Birthday to the Stage in a One-Night Benefit Event at El Portal Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a><\/p>\n
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The Fighting Quaker | America’s 250th Birthday | El Portal Theater<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHistoric Live Drama Honors the Man Who Hand-Wrote the Declaration of Independence, Benefiting the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation\u201d<\/div>\n

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA –<\/strong> Producers Suzanne Matlack DeLaurentiis<\/a>,<\/strong> Dale Fabrigar<\/strong>, and Nicole Mendez<\/strong> announce The Fighting Quaker<\/em>, a landmark theatrical event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the iconic El Portal Theater, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Directed by Bryan Rasmussen<\/strong> and written by the late Ann Matlack DeLaurentiis<\/strong> and Tricia Aurand<\/strong>, the 40-minute drama brings to life the remarkable and largely forgotten story of Timothy Matlack<\/strong> — the man who hand-inscribed the final official copy of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.<\/p>\n

The evening is a fundraiser benefiting the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation (MNITF),<\/a> which raises awareness for kidney disease and organ donation. The event will include a festive food and drinks reception, gift bags, a VIP gifting suite, and an exclusive meet-the-cast experience following the performance. Attire is cocktail and business.<\/p>\n

The Fighting Quaker<\/em> traces Matlack’s journey from debtor’s prison to the halls of the Second Continental Congress, where — on the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin — he took quill in hand and preserved the most important document in American history. A colonel who crossed the Delaware, and later championed the abolition of slavery, Matlack was a man whose convictions grew stronger even as his world grew harder. The play’s message resonates far beyond the 18th century: studies show that writing by hand activates more brain circuits than typing, strengthening memory, comprehension, and language development — and in today’s digital world, Matlack’s act of penmanship stands as both legacy and call to action.<\/p>\n

“I hope we can inspire audiences not only to reflect on our nation’s history but also reconnect with this simple, powerful act of writing,” says producer Suzanne Matlack DeLaurentiis, herself a descendent of Timothy Matlack and the daughter of playwright Ann Matlack DeLaurentiis, who first brought this story to the stage in 1968.<\/p>\n

The production is sponsored by the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation.<\/p>\n

Event Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n