Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Civil War play needed

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jenkins
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Topic: Civil War play needed
Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:13pm

Please help - need suggestions for a play about the Civil War, or set during the Civil War, or some connection to the Civil War. All the better if it has good women's roles ... asking the impossible, I realize.

Thanks!

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Thudster
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Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:31pm

I found some good ones before, the best of the lot is one by Manly Wade Wellman (from 1961). I found the originals and cleaned them up, drop me a message and I can email a number of them to you.

"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"

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KeeKeeDee
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Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:48pm

Bridegroom of Blowing Rock, published by Samuel French atherine Trieschmann

Comic drama

3 m., 4 f.

Unit set.

Set at the end of the Civil War in a town with split loyalties, this play weaves humor and mythology into a story about women who must find ways to keep hearth and home together in the absence of "full bodied" men. Focus is on the fracture that occurs in one family when a blind daughter is seduced by a Union raider with extraordinary storytelling abilities, much to the dismay of her staunchly Confederate mother.

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jenkins
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Posted: 6/18/12 at 8:23pm

Thanks!

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edh915
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Posted: 6/19/12 at 1:25am

A play that takes place during the Civil War and has good women's roles immediately suggests "Little Women" (any of the available adaptations).

An excellent Civil War play would be "The Andersonville Trial" by Saul Levitt (Dramatists Play Service) - unfortunately no women's roles.

Or you could cheat (as I once saw done) and do Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in Civil War costumes - the "battle of the blue and gray" being a very visceral concept easily understood by American audiences.

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Theatrefolk
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Posted: 6/19/12 at 8:06am

We have two one acts for you to look at, both have female characters. There are sample pages to read on both of these pages.

Drum Taps
adapted by Lindsay Price from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Letters
by Mrs. Evelyn Merritt

They were both written with young performers in mind. Drum Taps would probably work best with adult performers.

Theatrefolk: Scripts for High Schools, Middle Schools, and Elementary Schools
http://www.theatrefolk.com

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Majicwrench
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Posted: 6/19/12 at 2:57pm

Thudster will likely send you a wonderful play he sent me. It is all guys, but we had some gals reading letters from their loved ones (soldiers) to flesh it out a little bit. It is short, and stunning. We got rave reviews.

Keith

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Thudster
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Posted: 6/19/12 at 3:04pm

I forgot to ask how it went! Glad to hear it was a hit, and I'm very interested in the letters angle. Where did you add them?

"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"

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Majicwrench
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Posted: 7/05/12 at 4:11pm

Thudster...........ME BAD been busy.......doing shows!

The letters....we put one right at the begining, and one right at the end. Opening letter was one we got off the net, twas an athentic letter home from a soldier in the field. We shortened it, and made it generic--could have been Union or Confederate.

The closing... we played around with. Most of the time we had a gal reading a short story that we had found in a collection about "Water"?? I'll have to find it and send it. Super powerful. Again, we shortened it. And we had the first actress come out crying at the end, no dialouge needed for that one.

We also pointed the cannon directly at the audience, made everything much more effective. Thanks again for all your help!

Keith

And yes it was a great success

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Thudster
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Posted: 7/05/12 at 4:36pm

I understand, Keith. I finished a reprise of our dinner theater 2 weeks ago, the Wilder Pageant opens tomorrow night, and after that I get to do "The Cherry Orchard". Ah, the acting life.

Your version of the play sounds simply amazing. (shaking head in admiration)

"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"

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Play Suggestions
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Play Suggestions

Author	Message
jenkins Player Joined: 1/31/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Topic: Civil War play needed Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:13pm
	Please help - need suggestions for a play about the Civil War, or set during the Civil War, or some connection to the Civil War. All the better if it has good women's roles ... asking the impossible, I realize. Thanks!

	IP Logged

Thudster Star Joined: 10/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 68	Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:31pm
	I found some good ones before, the best of the lot is one by Manly Wade Wellman (from 1961). I found the originals and cleaned them up, drop me a message and I can email a number of them to you.
	"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
	IP Logged

KeeKeeDee Player Joined: 8/08/07 Location: Japan Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Posted: 6/18/12 at 4:48pm
	Bridegroom of Blowing Rock, published by Samuel French atherine Trieschmann Comic drama 3 m., 4 f. Unit set. Set at the end of the Civil War in a town with split loyalties, this play weaves humor and mythology into a story about women who must find ways to keep hearth and home together in the absence of "full bodied" men. Focus is on the fracture that occurs in one family when a blind daughter is seduced by a Union raider with extraordinary storytelling abilities, much to the dismay of her staunchly Confederate mother.
	IP Logged

jenkins Player Joined: 1/31/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Posted: 6/18/12 at 8:23pm
	Thanks!
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edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 6/19/12 at 1:25am
	A play that takes place during the Civil War and has good women's roles immediately suggests "Little Women" (any of the available adaptations). An excellent Civil War play would be "The Andersonville Trial" by Saul Levitt (Dramatists Play Service) - unfortunately no women's roles. Or you could cheat (as I once saw done) and do Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in Civil War costumes - the "battle of the blue and gray" being a very visceral concept easily understood by American audiences.
	IP Logged

Theatrefolk Player Joined: 10/26/08 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 17	Posted: 6/19/12 at 8:06am
	We have two one acts for you to look at, both have female characters. There are sample pages to read on both of these pages. Drum Taps adapted by Lindsay Price from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman Letters by Mrs. Evelyn Merritt They were both written with young performers in mind. Drum Taps would probably work best with adult performers.
	Theatrefolk: Scripts for High Schools, Middle Schools, and Elementary Schools http://www.theatrefolk.com
	IP Logged

Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 6/19/12 at 2:57pm
	Thudster will likely send you a wonderful play he sent me. It is all guys, but we had some gals reading letters from their loved ones (soldiers) to flesh it out a little bit. It is short, and stunning. We got rave reviews. Keith
	IP Logged

Thudster Star Joined: 10/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 68	Posted: 6/19/12 at 3:04pm
	I forgot to ask how it went! Glad to hear it was a hit, and I'm very interested in the letters angle. Where did you add them?
	"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
	IP Logged

Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 7/05/12 at 4:11pm
	Thudster...........ME BAD been busy.......doing shows! The letters....we put one right at the begining, and one right at the end. Opening letter was one we got off the net, twas an athentic letter home from a soldier in the field. We shortened it, and made it generic--could have been Union or Confederate. The closing... we played around with. Most of the time we had a gal reading a short story that we had found in a collection about "Water"?? I'll have to find it and send it. Super powerful. Again, we shortened it. And we had the first actress come out crying at the end, no dialouge needed for that one. We also pointed the cannon directly at the audience, made everything much more effective. Thanks again for all your help! Keith And yes it was a great success
	IP Logged

Thudster Star Joined: 10/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 68	Posted: 7/05/12 at 4:36pm
	I understand, Keith. I finished a reprise of our dinner theater 2 weeks ago, the Wilder Pageant opens tomorrow night, and after that I get to do "The Cherry Orchard". Ah, the acting life. Your version of the play sounds simply amazing. (shaking head in admiration)
	"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
	IP Logged