Cast members in A Civil War Christmas (Robert Wade) |
A Civil War Christmas –
An American Musical Celebration
Taproot Theatre
Through December 27, 2017
An endearing and hard-working cast brings to life a tapestry
of stories set around Christmas Eve, 1864. Figures of note in the Civil War are
present, including President Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, General
Ulysses Grant of the Union Army, General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army,
and a whole host of then-notable and some completely unknown and fictitious characters.
The stories, chosen and interwoven by playwright Paula
Vogel, are meant to acknowledge many issues present at that time of divided
national interests. Slaves are being freed, North and South are still at war
and full of enmity for one another, and Lincoln is under increasing threat of
attack. There is much darkness, and the struggle for peace and for human
connection is a difficult one to win.
An ensemble cast of 13 plays multiple roles. There are, I
hear, 60 scenes, which is a lot of scenes. This is apparently less than the
published version, and was cut by permission. Still, the tumultuous tales don’t
blend easily and following their paths takes a lot of attention from audience
members.