Blood Divided
by Jeffry L. Chastang
directed by Nancy Rominger
originally produced at Alabama Shakespeare Festival,
Montgomery, AL.
February 18, 2011
through March 20, 2011
It is 1861 and Montgomery, Alabama is a hotbed of political activity. Dr. William Baldwin, one the city's most prominent citizens, is vocal against secession and proves his convictions by freeing his slaves. But fire and brimstone politician William Lowndes Yancey is for war and hell bent on bringing everyone within his reach, including Baldwin's teenage son, to the Confederate side. Friends, family members and community clash in this gripping story that is both heartening and heartbreaking.
The genesis of the Civil War project (the co-development and production of Jeffry L. Chastang’s Blood Divided and Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s The Flagmaker of Market Street) was a truly innovative cohesion of the arts and tourism. The year 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of a fateful telegram sent from Montgomery, Alabama to Fort Sumter, South Carolina and the beginning of the Civil War. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederate States of America and witness to considerable civil conflict. The Alabama Tourism Department proposed that the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, as the State Theatre, could mark the sesquicentennial in a way that is both sensitive and exciting. The Department of Tourism plans to market ASF’s participation as a way to promote tourism to Alabama.
With a grant from the Edgerton Foundation, ASF will extend the rehearsal time by two weeks, allowing the playwright, the director, and the actors additional research, collaboration and growth before the play receives its world premiere.
Director: Nancy Rominger
Set Design: Peter Hicks
Lighting Design: Tom Rodman
Sound Design: Brett Rominger
Costume Design: Pamela Schofield