fugitive/slave/act is a historical drama based on a true story from the turbulent days before the Civil War. Told in the form of a greek tragedy, it follows the story of William Parker, the leader of a community of ex-slaves living free, Castner Hanway, his Mennonite neighbor, and Edward Grouch, the slaveowner pursuing his escaped "property," and who could not accept a world where he was not a master. In 1851 they met in the town of Christiana, Pennsylvania.

A year earlier, to appease the slaveholding states, the United States Congress passed the "Fugitive Slave Law," which decreed that an escaped slave was no longer free by simply reaching a "Free State." Not only could their ex-Master now pursue escaped slaves anywhere in the Union, a "kidnapper" had the right, under this law, to forcibly deputize anyone, forcing them to help. To resist capture, or refuse help in capturing, were suddenly federal crimes.

And just as suddenly communities of escaped slaves north of the Mason-Dixon line were imperiled, in danger at any moment of being dragged back to hell. So when a group of escaped slaves in southern Pennsylvania got wind that their former master had decided to re-capture them they had a choice: try the run for Canada or do something no one had done before: stand and fight. They fought, and the bloody clash, known as the Battle of Christiana, almost started the Civil war a decade early. And the resulting chase for Parker and sensational treason trial of Hanway - the neighbor who refused help the slave-catchers - galvanized the nation - but galvanized it into two virtually separate countries.

Years ago a group of older women, passionate about social justice and baking, formed the Morning Glory Baking Circle for Revolutionary Self Defense. Styling themselves as revolutionaries, and supremely talent as cooks, they have been baking and selling the most wonderful desserts for decades, donating the money to revolutionary causes. Quoting Mao while making cakes, they see themselves as the vanguard of the Revolutionary Proletariat, the heirs of the Black Panthers - with Betty Crocker thrown into the mix.
Today, however, is especially important as the Baking Circle has invited a reporter, Diane Robeson, from a local public radio station to record their greatest donation to the revolution yet. After years of selling their amazing cakes, pies, cobblers and muffins, they have saved up a tidy sum - $25,000, which they are planning to transfer to a bank in the Cuba! Illegal, of course! Naive, well kinda, but a bold blow in the name of The Revolution! But just then Helen, who had gone to make the transfer stumbles into the interview, and tells them that the bank was raided, the money seized! And no one knew about the money... except the reporter whoʼs been making cryptic cell phone calls ever since she arrived...
The Reporter, Diane, not seeing the cloud of suspicion hanging over her, is thrilled with the sudden attention from the revolutionary icons she has idolized, until she makes one strangely worded cellphone call too many and the Baking Circle pounce on what they believe to be a undercover Federal agent! But each of the bakers have a different view of what to do with their captive. Lillian wants to question this fiercely political young black woman, give her the benefit of the doubt. Helen argues there is nothing to be gained by holding a Fed at all. Janice wants her to at least be comfortable while tied to her chair, and Ruth wants to kill her and dump her body off a fishing boat. All the while Diane argues she is not an agent, and begins to see the Baking Circle not as the feisty old rebels she admired, but as a group of scared old nuts. How can she prove to them she is not an agent before they kill her? And if she isnʼt the rat how did the government know about the cash transfer? And how does Ruth get so many weapons in that tiny purse?
In the end Diane proves she is not the rat, but someone must be, and to the Circles horror it turns out that Helen is the undercover fed, sent to by a misguided Homeland Security to infiltrate even this tiny baking circle in the name of protecting America. Helen defends herself and her choice, and insists she would never do anything to hurt the group she now thinks of as friends, or the woman she has come to love, but in the end the Circle is faced with the decision of what to do with her. Do they let her go? Or, as Ruth insisted when they suspected Diane, should they treat her as an enemy spy? In the end these sweet, funny old ladies make the choice to act like the revolutionaries they’ve always said they were.