^{painted by William Williams in 1790}

Return of Benjamin Lay 

Saturday 17 October, 2.30 – 4.30 pm: At Radnor Friends Meetinghouse at 610 Conestoga Road in Villanova PA

Mark Povinelli, as Benjamin, reading a condensed version of the original play The Return of Benjamin Lay. Each performance will also include a discussion with the actor, joined by historian/playwright Marcus Rediker. 

The Return of Benjamin Lay explores the irrepressible prophetic witness of an 18th-century Philadelphia Quaker. One of the earliest revolutionary abolitionists, Benjamin stood for values that continue to need our voices in 2026.

Read more about the play and about Mark Povinelli at BenjaminLayPlay.com. 

Benjamin Lay (January 26, 1682 – February 8, 1759) was an English-born of a Quaker family, writer, farmer and activist. A hunchback with a protruding chest, Lay was roughly four feet tall and referred to himself as "Little Benjamin". In 1718, Lay moved to the British colony of Barbados, While working as a merchant, his shock at the brutal treatment of slaves in Barbados. Moving to Pennsylvania and settling in Abington with his wife, Sarah Smith Lay,. They operated a small farm, which produced fruit, flax and wool, he refused to consume any product made from slave or animal labor and lived a frugal, vegetarian lifestyle.
Lay was a prolific writer, writing books and pamphlets that advocated the abolition of slavery. His 1737 book All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates was one of the first abolitionist works published in the Thirteen Colonies. Lay developed a hostile relationship with American Quakers, many of whom owned slaves, frequently disrupting their meetings with demonstrations to protest against slavery. Read more about Benjamin Lay by taking out a book on him from the Meting Library or clicking here for a link to Wiki.