Saturday, September 18, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

School Groups Enjoy Trial & Tribulations

We had 150 students tour the two historic sites and the historical museum this morning, meeting the seven characters and touring the Rutherford Home.  One homeschooled boy was heard saying "I liked that!" as he was leaving the Lincoln's.  A couple of kids tested Mary Corbin's new found patience when they picked apples from her tree (they did discover she still has a temper- all as part of the fun of the program).  One of the teachers said he used to teach theater and that our interpreters were excellent!  The public will get to meet the same seven characters this evening from 4-8:30 p.m. and tomorrow from 2-8:30 p.m.  Tickets are still available.  And we'll be sure to tell Mary Corbin, it's o.k. to pick her apples...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Thursday Night Program Begins T & T 2010

The program went well tonight! A homey and devoted crowd that included two Rutherford descendants. The word is the dinner is wonderful - better than last year! And the play has a different feel about it, not as heavy. We had half the audience from Oakland and the rest from Decatur, Champaign and Urbana.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Pennsylvania Railroad Depot Welcomes T & T Participants

The old Oakland depot for the Pennsylvania Central Railroad has been given new life by Landmarks, Inc. to serve as the welcome center for Trial & Tribulations.  The historic building is on the north side of State Route 133 as you enter Oakland.  Participants in the program next Thursday, Friday and Saturday will park on the south side of the depot and purchase or pick up tickets to the event in the depot. 

The Welcome Center is being staffed by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce one of the sponsors of the Trial & Tribulations program.  In addition, Bill Chandler, who is a retired railroad man will be inside the depot to talk about it's history from his first-hand experience from working in it. 

Greg Baker, a member of Landmark's board of directors and publication chairman for Trial & Tribulations, has put in the lions share of the work to clean, paint, and repair the rooms so they will be ready for the public.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Independence Pioneer Village Gets Refreshed by Tennessee Group

Mt. Gilead Baptist Builders / Disaster Relief and their youth group, Example 13:15, from Tennessee were at Independence Pioneer Village this weekend to do some heavy cleaning and sprucing up. Thanks to them the village looks great! And they got to learn and practice skills they use in their mission trips while dipping into some history.

Keith Coffman, their leader notes, "We are looking for ways to teach our youth about missions and teach them some skills along the way.  I feel we accomplished that this weekend.  Most of our youth met new friends, learned a little about History, took part in something they haven't done before, got to take part in a Great Drama Presentation and had fun doing it.  Thanks again for the opportunity and for the hospitality."

The Lee Family that owns the Village is also very appreciative to have had the groups' assistance.  They were able to accomplish things like repairing a chimney and flooring in one of the cabins, cut down a large dead tree, and clean out overgrown brush.  In the family's words, "The Village looks awesome!"  It is a beautiful setting in which to meet Mary Corbin, Lucy Dupee, Jane and Anthony Bryant to hear their stories.  We will have four cabins, the general store, and the church/school open for visitors to tour during Trial & Tribulations.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Play Rehearsals Continue

The cast of 11 have been working hard with Dr. David Jorns, writer and director.  This photo was taken by Amy Rose, writer for the News-Gazette for her upcoming article.  Saturday they were able to practice for the first time with Ed Adams who is playing the new role of Frederick Douglass.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Harriet Tubman Comes to Life on Saturday

Trial & Tribulations is honored to have Kathryn Harris joining us with her presentation of Harriet Tubman on Saturday, Sept 18, at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. at Independence Pioneer Village.  While Harriet is not part of the Matson Slave Trial story, as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, she represents the only route to freedom for many slaves. This presentation compliments the Bryants story by highlighting the struggles that many other slaves endured to achieve freedom.

Harriet Tubman was born between 1820 and 1823; having been born into slavery, there are no written records of her birth. In 1849, destined for freedom, she escaped to Pennsylvania with the help of abolitionist friends. Harriet made her first trip back to the south to free other slaves just two years later.

Harriet eventually conducted numerous trips on the Underground Railroad and led some 300 people to freedom. Following the Civil War, Harriet was a part of the Freedman’s Bureau, which worked to teach former slaves to read and write, present themselves for work, and be their own masters.

Although Tubman's travels and activities didn't bring her to Illinois, she does have a connection to Abraham Lincoln. In the 1850s, Tubman was given land by William H. Seward, then the governor of New York. Seward would later become a member of Lincoln's cabinet.

About a decade ago, Harris was asked by a colleague to join in an outreach project of bringing history into the schools. So when she was approached by a colleague and asked if she would give it a try for an upcoming program, she agreed.  "I've always been a bit of a ham," Harris says.
                                              
To prepare for her portrayal, Harris read every book on Tubman she could find. She read encyclopedia entries, books about the Underground Railroad and even children's level biographies. "It became a passion," Harris said.
                                              
Phil Funkenbusch, director of the shows division at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, said Harris is a natural when it comes to her portrayal of Tubman. "It's almost like she channels her," Funkenbusch said. "She gets inside her own skin."

All told, Harris estimates she does about 30 Harriet Tubman performances a year. Along with schools, she goes to churches and civic groups. Harris explains, “My goal is to give people a better understanding of slavery and how one person can make a difference.”

Kathryn M. Harris serves as Library Services Director at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (ALPL), formerly the IL State Historical Library (ISHL), in Springfield, IL.  Harris joined the ISHL staff in 1990 as the Supervisor of Reference and Technical Services and was named ISHL Director in 1996.  With the opening of the ALPL in 2004, Harris assumed her current title.  Harris says that the highlight of her professional career was being involved in the planning and construction of the ALPLM.  

She is active in  various library and history-related organizations and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award, Springfield YWCA Women of Excellence Award, the Webster Plaque and the President’s Award from the Springfield Chapter NAACP.

Harris has appeared on stage as “Sadie Delany” in local productions of “Having Our Say” and she has also portrayed “Elizabeth Keckley” in “The Last of Mrs. Lincoln”, both performances having been presented in the Union Theatre at the ALPM.