An original full-length play by Cianon Jones that brings to life the story of the Muscatine resident and early advocate for equal rights in Iowa.
In 2025, the Stanley Center’s Global Education Program and the Muscatine Art Center commissioned Iowa Playwrights Workshop student Cianon Jones to write a play. Barberman: The Alexander Clark Story portrays the life and times of the longtime Muscatine resident and early leader in the fight for equal rights in Iowa.
Alexander Clark, a pivotal figure in Iowa’s history, moved to Muscatine in 1842 and became a successful businessman, civil rights leader, and the second African American graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law—preceded only by his son. His landmark lawsuit against the Muscatine school board led the Iowa Supreme Court to desegregate the state’s public schools 85 years before the national ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
Barberman delves into key moments of Clark’s life, exploring his personal and public struggles for justice. The play introduces audiences to his wife and children, abolitionist John Brown, and Jim White, a formerly enslaved man whom Clark aided in 1848. It also incorporates Clark’s exchanges with renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The play premiered in June 2026 at Muscatine Community College and showcased eight actors telling Clark’s story. Directed by Michael C. Flores, this production of Barberman featured a full set, lighting, and costumes designed by University of Iowa theatre graduate students.
The play is the result of a multi-year partnership for engaging the public with Alexander Clark’s story.
“I hope the play encourages people to learn about the world that we live in and about the people who have forged it for us.”
—Cianon Jones, playwright
To learn more about Alexander Clark, watch the documentary, Lost in History: Alexander Clark.
Susie Clark: The Bravest Girl You’ve Ever Seen, a picture book, tells the story of Alexander Clark’s daughter, who was just 13 when she became the first Black student in the United States to integrate a public school through a court order.
Barberman: The Alexander Clark Story is presented by:
Questions about Barberman: The Alexander Clark Story or our local programming? Follow us on Facebook for updates, or contact Krista Regennitter, program officer for Global Education!