Event

WAR SONG

War Song is a a music-and-poetry-suffused look at race and the Civil War through the eyes of Christian Fleetwood, publisher, choirmaster, Sergeant in the 4th Regiment United States Colored Infantry, and winner of The Congressional Medal of Honor. Drawn from his speech, "The Negro As A Soldier," music and songs from the Civil War, and the words of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, War Song is about war, glory, despair, America, and the old flag; the stories we tell and the songs we sing about them.

Lt. Maj. Christian Fleetwood, scholar, father, and highly decorated veteran of the United States Colored Infantry, makes the final touches the night before his big speech defending the rights of African-Americans to serve in the military. But his wife, Sara, has bitter objections, so Fleetwood conjures up the spirits of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman to encourage him, as "storytellers, all--lovers of song, beauty, and the fight, all." But the discussions turn sour, and prejudices bubble to the surface, leaving Fleetwood to realize that sometimes words aren't enough, and sometimes plowshares must be hammered back into swords.

Written By Jessica Wright Buha

From the works of Christian Fleetwood, Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, Susie King Taylor, and W.E.B Du Bois

Original Music By Mallory Nees

Directed By Jack Dugan Carpenter
Musical Direction by Kathryn Miller

Featuring:

Breon Arzell as CHRISTIAN FLEETWOOD
Jyreika Guest as SARA FLEETWOOD
Derik Marcussen as ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Christopher Marcum as WALT WHITMAN

With:

Wyatt Kent on Trumpet
Sean McGill on Drums
Kathryn Miller on Guitar

Stage Manager: Katie Ritchie
Props and Scenery: Melissa Schlesinger
Lighting: John Jacobsen
Costumes: Emma Cullimore
Assistant Director: Samantha Decker
Civil War Expert: Ned Ricks