Ever True by Lisa Saunders
February 14, 2012, 6:30pm
Charles McDowell, a recent immigrant from Ontario to upstate New York, enlisted in the Union Army despite his father’s frantic pleas. He left behind his seventeen-year-old wife Nancy to join what was to become the New York 9th Heavy Artillery. In September of 1862, Charles began the greatest, most dangerous adventure of his life. And despite the war’s infidelities, scandals and ever-present threat of death, he remained “ever true” to his wife, and his new-found country.
Based on Civil War letters found by author Lisa Saunders, EVER TRUE is the fascinating compilation of those telling letters plus photos, historical background gleaned from rare out-of-print books, and family secrets uncovered at the National Archives. Sprinkled within the pages are standard American recipes of those times, some of which (such as apple pie and dumplings) are still family favorites today.
Although we often hear of the brave deeds done in battle and the many amputations during the Civil War, Saunders’ book gives us a behind-the-scene look at the hangings, desertion, prostitution, a Canadian family's involvement in the war, a wife's role in the fort life around Washington, medical treatments, and even theft and murder among Union troops. You will also read of the battles Battles of Cold Harbor, Jerusalem Plank Road, Monocacy, The Siege of Petersburg, Moseby’s Men, The Shenandoah Valley Campaign, and the final chase to Appomattox Court House.
Production Credits:
Lisa Saunders, (Playwright) lives in Mystic, CT, with her husband, Jim, and beagle/basset hound, Bailey. The author of several books, she is a speaker, blogger, and a consulting writer/publicist. Her books and plays include: Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife, featuring excerpts of her great-great grandparents’ Civil War love letters; Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator, a children’s novel based on Lisa’s summers as a chubby kid on her grandparents’ farm; Anything But A Dog!, the true story of how a big, homeless canine found his way to her disabled daughter’s couch; and The Mystic Seafarer’s Trail, which reveals the secrets behind the haunts and homes of Mystic’s legendary sea voyagers. A Cornell University graduate and winner of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Gold Medallion, Lisa helps authors and organizations promote their work through her free e-books, How to Get Published and How to Promote Your Business (or yourself). A former employment recruiter, Lisa shares job seeking tips in her free e-book, How to Get a Job. See her work and availability for speaking at: www.authorlisasaunders.com
Camilla Ross (Producer) Outside of producing great theater, Ms. Ross is the current president and founder of the Emerson Theater Collaborative, and a graduate of Emerson College in Boston. Ms. Ross has produced Doubt, By John Patrick Shanley, Introducing Mr. Charles Dickens, Harriet2 (Pronounced Harriet Squared), Picasso at The Lapin Agile by Steve Martin, Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman, Hate Mail By Bill Corbett and Kira Obolensky, Love Letters by A.R. Gurney Chestina Vanessa Poulson By Melanie Greenhouse, Gray Matters, By Jacques Lamarre, Living In the Wind by Michael Bradford, The Big Bank (A musical) by Daniel and Jacob Seligmann. (The Big Bank made its NYC debut at the St. Clements Theater as part of the NY Musical Theater Festival (With an amazing NY cast) in September and October 2011 to critical acclaim) and many others for the Emerson Theater Collaborative. She is the theatrical advisor and acting coach for the SPAG Players at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT. Camilla is a former board member and acting instructor for the Writer’s Block, Ink of New London, CT. Camilla is currently a part-time business faculty member of the Three Rivers Community College, teaching a variety of business courses. She currently sits on the Emerson Alumni Board, As an actress, she was seen most recently in Jacob and Daniel Seligmann’s new, original musical The Big Bank in the role of Mabel, and continues to play in the recurring role of Harriet Tubman in Harriet Tubman’s Dream by Lisa Giordano.
Joshua Lee Ramos (Director) is a native of Hartford, CT and a graduate of University of Hartford where he received a BA in Drama and Film. In 2008 he made his professional theatre directorial debut with Princebury Productions directing A. R. Gurney's "Love Letters " in Massachusetts. He also did the lighting design for that show that would express the changes in time and compliment the change in emotions. The show earned him critical praise for these elements as well as his direction. Joshua brought the revival of Maria Irene Fornes' "The Conduct of Life" to the Off-Broadway June Havoc Theatre as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival in summer of 2008 as the director, lighting designer and sound designer. Additional regional professional credits include working as a director for "New Works New Britain Theatre Festival," as well as having been a lighting designer for CONNetic Dance in Hartford and for their regional tour. For his first show of 2010 he directed "Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans" for the Hartford Children's Theatre. Other credits include working with the Emerson Theatre Collaborative (etc.) as Artistic Director taking on numerous projects such as Melanie Greenhouse’s “Chestina Vanessa Poulson”, stage manager for "Harriet2", director for Bill Corbett's and Kira Obolensky's "Hate Mail" and director of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters”. He first worked with etc. as director of a very successful run of Rebecca Gilman's "Spinning into Butter" for etc. in Fall 2009. Ramos also directed three very well received productions of Jacques Lamarre’s “Gray Matters”, Off-Broadway for the 11th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2010 followed by two subsequent runs of the show in Mystic, CT and Hartford, CT (ETC.’s first Hartford appearance). In 2011 The Spitting Image by Sophie Klein. “Working with Emerson Theater Collaborative has been real, educational, humbling and most of all fun”- Ramos. For more on Ramos visit www.joshualeeramos.webs.com
Dan Mauro, (Union Private Charles Dowell) holds a BS in film from Emerson College in Boston and is an ongoing student of the Actors Gym in Hamden, CT. He began his stage work with the New Haven based, non-profit group Mastermind Productions. In addition to appearing in shows such as ‘The Nerd” and ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile’ Dan has also worked local independent films and regional commercials. This is his second appearance for Emerson Theater Collaborative – he made his ETC debut in A.R.Gurney’s ‘Love Letters’ in February 2011.
Marta Rymer, (Nancy Dowell) is thrilled to be back in Mystic with The Emerson Theater Collaborative. She was recently seen in the Emerson Theater Collaboratives' summer production of The Big Bank, by Jacob and Daniel Seligmann as Mrs. Cartwright. Marta is a native of Boston Massachusetts and spends most of her time these days playing violin and singing with Grace Morrison and the RSO, a folk-rock band in Massachusetts. She dances with the Boston Dance Company as a principle ballerina and loves traveling. Marta would like to thank the Ross' for all their generosity and looks forward to working more with The Emerson Theater Collaborative in the future.
Nathan Watrous, (Narrator) is very excited to be making her debut with the Emerson Theater Collaborative and their production of Ever True, by Lisa Saunders. Nathan graduated from Ledyard High School in 2011 and spent several years in their drama program. He has played all types of characters from Greek kings to a distraught crazed soldier. Other roles include Cheshire Cat in a remake of Alice and Wonderland, the main character, Scapin, in a play with the same name. He’s been a mute murder suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, a man on a quest with the last name McFlurry, and the Lord of the Underworld. He says, “I’m looking to forward my acting career and this play seems like a perfect opportunity to get into a new group of actors.” He loves acting and hopes to work in more productions with the Emerson Theater Collaborative.
