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Peer Reviews Abraham
Lincoln: The Boy Book, Music and Lyrics by Geraldine Ann Snyder
The play takes place on the Lincoln farm in Hardin County, Kentucky, in 1816. Young Abraham (Timothy Ryan Bartlett) spends his days playing games and skipping rocks with his sister Sarah (Jodi Jervis) and their friend Josiah (Adam Pepper), a slave from the neighboring farm. What the boy likes to do best, however, is to read, and he shares his enthusiasm for this pastime with Josiah. It is the elderly Josiah (William P. Bradford II) who narrates the story in a voice-over, tying all of the action together as he relates the experiences of his youth with the Lincolns.
Playwright Geraldine Ann Snyder has done a masterful job of incorporating important lessons into both the dialogue and the play's six musical numbers. One of the most significant subjects treated is that of slavery. The horror and cruelty of the institution is only hinted at, but that's as is to be expected in a production aimed at schoolchildren. From the start, it is made clear that Abraham and Josiah, while the best of friends, are not considered on equal footing, and Abraham could get in serious trouble for teaching Josiah how to read. Time and again it is stressed that everyone deserves to be free, and when Abraham and Josiah read the Declaration of Independence together, Abraham (rather ahead of his time) implies that the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should apply to all. Abraham's parents, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln (played by Joseph Hatfield and Geraldine Ann Snyder), decry the fact that their neighbor is a slaveholder and eventually help Josiah fulfill his dreams of escaping to Canada by allowing him to accompany the family when they decide to move to Indiana. Josiah's heritage is brought out in "The Moon in Africa," a riveting song to which Diane Chambers has choreographed wonderful moves borrowed from the repertoire of African dance. In contrast, the heartbreaking reality of Josiah's condition is suggested by the song "Chains," inspired by his catching a glimpse of his mother and favorite uncle being led away in chains. Disturbing as this may be for children, the heartbreak is attenuated when we hear that eventually, Josiah makes it to Canada and his mother is able to join him there. It's curious that at the play's end, though the elderly Josiah tells of hearing years later that his childhood friend became President and was assassinated, he doesn't mention that before he died, Lincoln took a giant step toward realizing the ideals he had held since he was a boy by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. In the course of the show, young audience members are introduced to a number of other important ideas besides. They learn how difficult it was to come by books in rural Kentucky when Lincoln was a boy, how important it is to honor one's word, what a great event the harvest was ("Harvest Time in Kentucky" is a stirring first musical number), and that physical differences between people are to be embraced and celebrated ("I'm Tall for My Age"). In the song "It's Sew," we learn not only that sewing was a crucial activity on the frontier, practiced by both men and women, but that quilts often told a story and that certain symbolic quilts displayed outside a home conveyed various messages to fleeing slaves. "Let's Go to Indiana" is a rousing send-off for the Lincoln family, who leave Kentucky because of difficulties with their land deed. The performers, who are very well cast, exude a spirited energy that draws the audience in and holds their attention. They are strong actors and talented singers whose enthusiasm is contagious. Their costumes are appropriate for the period and visually interesting, and the set, designed by Gerald Kean, suggests an entire atmosphere with just a few props and an artfully painted backdrop. The Education Department of Blue Apple Players deserves particular kudos for the supplemental materials they have prepared in conjunction with the play. In addition to providing the audience with a family activity page containing suggestions for games, crafts, and discussion, the group's website offers extensive lesson plans for use by educators which focus on Lincoln and on the theatre-going experience. Abraham Lincoln: The Boy has a running time of about 45 minutes and is currently being performed as a traveling show in area elementary schools; however, a public performance will take place at the Brown Theatre on Saturday, October 11, 2008. It is a highly worthwhile production that all families with young children should be encouraged to attend. History comes alive through a thoughtfully written script, upbeat songs, and choreography that is fun to behold. By exposing young people to the art form and the ideas this play represents, Blue Apple Players enriches their lives immeasurably.
502-587-7990 or 800-587-7990 for information Posted Oct. 6, 2008
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