Historical Costuming Adds to Trial & Tribulations

What to wear? We each deal with this question everyday, but Gretchen Phillips is tackling it for fourteen people. She has volunteered to clothe the actors and interpreters for Trial & Tribulations: The Story of the 1847 Matson Slave Trial program on Sept 18 and 19 in Oakland.

Ticket holders to the program will meet seven of the main characters in the story: Dr. Rutherford, Matt Ashmore, Mary Corbin, Lincoln, the Bryants and Lucy Dupee at the Rutherford Complex and Independence Pioneer Village. These interpreters will be working under the premise that they are from the 1870s and are reflecting back on their involvement with the trial. After conversing with these folks, and enjoying an 1840s dinner, the visitors will watch a play where the younger version of these characters portray the events of the 1847 trial in a play, Three Fifths of a Man.

Hence, Phillips is challenged to costume from two time periods. “The men’s styles don’t change much over these thirty years, but the ladies style is dramatically different,” notes Phillips. The 1840s style is elegant and simple compared to the excesses of the periods before and after. The sleeves are moderate in size; the fit is flattering and feminine. Since the 1840s costumes are for a play, they have to help convey the character to the audience, so our costumes for the three women Interlocutors or narrators are more neutral than those typical of the period, explains Phillips. We will use more beiges and less of the “poison green,” magentas and teals that were popular at the time of the trial.

The 1870s style on the other hand is a time of transition from hoops to outlandish bustles. The interpreters will be wearing the early, less prominent bustle. “Luckily, the Freetown Village interpreters have costumes from this period, so we won’t have to worry about them,” mentions Phillips.

The biggest challenge for the men is the amount of clothing. “The actors and interpreters are hoping that this cooling weather sticks around,” jokes Phillips. They will wear long–sleeved shirts, vests and a frock coat in most instances. Back then, suspenders were considered underwear, never to be seen, so if you took off your coat to get comfortable, you would still have your vest on. In fact, a volunteer will be needed to wash the shirts late Friday night so that they are fresh for Saturday.

Phillips is making two of the 1840 dresses and Katrina Bohn, one of the actresses, is making her own costume. Phillips points out, “There are lots of interesting sewing techniques in these dresses: piping, boning, seams in different places and cartridge pleating.” The latter is a method of gathering fullness that must be done by hand and will allow more fabric to be used than today’s methods. But she quickly adds, “We aren’t doing it all by hand, or we wouldn’t have them ready until next September.”

The program is renting the remaining women and men’s costumes from Grand Ball Costumes in Charleston. In fact, Phillips is looking forward to choosing the costumes tomorrow so that there is time for altering them if necessary.

Phillips has always loved history, and finds that manifesting itself in creating dresses from various eras for herself. She was home schooled and when they studied the Revolutionary War, she made a dress to wear to the Feast of the Hunters Moon in Lafayette, Indiana. Unfortunately, when she arrived she discovered that the zipper wasn’t accurate and the fact that her elbows showed meant that she was being immodest. Phillips wasn’t daunted, she just decided to learn more and make the gown more accurate. She now owns clothing of her own making from the 1820s, 1830s, Civil War era, the time of Titanic and the 1930s. “This is the first time I have made something from the 1840s and it is lots of fun,” she enthuses.

Interpreters for 7 Characters in Place

Visitors to Trial & Tribulations will start the program by meeting seven of the key characters in the Matson Slave Trial story at two historic sites in Oakland. The characters will be portraying Dr. Hiram Rutherford, Gideon "Matt" Ashmore, Mary Corbin, Jane and Anthony Bryant, Lucy Dupee, and Abraham Lincoln from a fictitious time in the 1870s as they look back to the events of 1847. Participants can converse and ask questions with the characters as they move through the grounds of Dr. Rutherford's home, now a historic site, and Independence Pioneer Village. By having these interpreters hail from the future (even though some had died in real life by that period), they can talk about the aftermath of the trial and look back at the events with some historical perspective.

We are happy to announce that Roger Ashmore has agreed to portray his own ancestor, Matt Ashmore. Kim McGee will create the character of Dr. Rutherford. Freetown Village, a living history program from Indianapolis will bring to life the Bryants and Lucy Dupee. Lincoln and Corbin are yet to be finalized, but we'll let you know soon who will portray them.

Volunteer Still Needed

Volunteers are needed for “Trial and Tribulations, the Story of the Matson Slave Trial”, Friday and Saturday September 18 and 19. If you can volunteer some time to help on one of these crews please email us at trial.tribulations1847@gmail.com or call 217-508-9113.

Columbian Bldg. Work Crew start on Saturday, August 22 during the day, hang pipes to support curtains, lighting and quilt display, clean up the building, set up serving area, hang curtains and lights.

Set-up Work Crew, Foreman and Crew to set up tents, chairs, porta-potties, work will be: Thursday 17 during the day set up chairs and tables in Columbian Bldg, hang quilt display, distribute chairs to other areas for set up on Friday. Friday morning 6 am til finished, then return after 7 to close up for the night. Saturday morning 7am til finished, then return after 7 to take down

Interpreters: Four out-going people with a love of history to interpret the characters of Rutherford, Ashmore, Lincoln and Mary Corbin. Performance will be all day on Friday and Saturday (4 different performances), time will be needed to study the history and the character before rehearsals, then rehearsals and preparation will be scheduled for the week before.

Video Operators: Two people for each performance to operate the video equipment to show the WEIU black history video. Training will be provided on Thursday. Performance times will be: Friday: 3:30-7:15, Saturday: 10:00-2:15 and 3:30-7:15

Piano Player or Guitarist, Fiddle or Banjo player to play period music during the meals, Friday 3:30-7:00, Saturday 10:00-1:30 and 3:30-7:00 Music might include Stephen Foster songs and Negro spirituals.

Assistant Director and stage set up and props Person: assist Dr. Jorns as needed

Ticket Processor: someone with clerical skills to receive ticket orders and mail tickets, needs to keep detailed records. Thanks to Jane Kite for taking this on.

Bus Guides: Four people for each performance to get on school buses as they arrive and act as guides to direct the group through the program. Friday 8:30 -11:15 and 11:15-2:00 Training will be given on Thursday.

Welcome Tent: Two people needed for each performance to pass out programs and give directions. Friday: 3:30-6:30 Saturday 10:00-1:00 and 3:30-6:30 Training will be provided on Thursday.

Ticket Punchers: Seven people, could be scouts or church youth group, will be needed for each performance, five at the Pioneer Village and two in town to punch visitors tickets. Friday 3:30-7:00; Saturday 10:00-1:30; and 3:30-7:00 Training will be provided on Thursday.

Program and Booklet Layout: Someone to layout the free program and the souvenir booklet. Thanks Greg Baker for agreeing to do this.

Cast in Place for Three-Fifths of a Man

Local actors will be the stars in the historical drama about one of Oakland’s most important brushes with the famous. Hiram Rutherford and Gideon Madison “Matt” Ashmore put Oakland into the history books, when they stood to protect Anthony and Jane Bryant from slavery with Robert Matson against Abraham Lincoln. Five men, three women and one teen will help tell that story as part of the Trial & Tribulations program on September 18 and 19.

Most actors will portray two people in the original drama written and directed by Dr. David Jorns. Jorns announced, “I am very impressed with the quality of this cast, they will do an outstanding job.”

The cast is as follows: Hiram Rutherford/William Lloyd Garrison – Caleb Schaffer; Matt Ashmore/Orlando B. Ficklin – Ben BcBurney; Robert Matson/Usher Linder – Bill McBurney; Abraham Lincoln – Jacob Norris; William Gillman/Joe Dean – Rob Lee; Interlocutor 1 – Stephanie Borntreger; Interlocutor 2/Mary Corbin – Flynn Welles; Interlocutor 3/Mary Chestnut – April Lee; Patient – Benny Lee.