Courtesy Photo Kitty Wilson-Evans plays a slave, Kessie, at the Christmas in the Quarters program which is to be performed Dec. 19 at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site. Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site won’t be the spot for a glitzy and glamorous holiday program. It will take a harsh look at the reality of the holidays from the perspective of the slaves who once lived there through a scheduled performance Dec. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Beech Island, S.C.

“This is one of our oldest and most successful programs,” said Elizabeth Laney, park interpreter of the Christmas in the Quarters program.

The program draws the many visitors due to Kitty Wilson-Evans, a historian and storyteller from historic Brattonsville in McConnells, S.C., who portrays a slave named Kessie, said Laney.

“She gets very emotional. She connects with her audience. They feel what she feels,” said Laney. “People are so affected by her.”

Kessie is a character Wilson Evans has performed for many years. She is the result of many years of research on the historical accounts of slaves living in South Carolina.

When she performs at Redcliffe, she incorporates history from there.

The holidays or referred to as the “Big Times” by slaves gave them a cause for celebration. Sometimes, they could see family they hadn’t seen in a year; however, it was also a time when families could be torn apart as a slave might be sold.

Redcliffe was the only surviving plantation of Gov. James Henry Hammond (1807-1864), and it was donated to the state of South Carolina in 1975. Along with the house came a wealth of historical records, log books and journals which are used to provide factual information for the programs, said Laney.

“Ironically, much of our information about Christmas at the Hammond Plantations involves the celebrations of the enslaved individuals rather than the Hammond family,” Laney said. “Plantation records indicate that they were given several days off from their labors and given extra allotments of food and clothing. These ‘extras’ could also be taken away just as swiftly at the whim of their owner.”

Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for children 6-16 and free for children 5 years-old and younger. The ticket cost includes a tour of the mansion.

For more information, call (803) 827-1483.